Ranchi, April 2: The biggest cooperative institution of the state dealing with vegetables and fruits ? the Chhotanagpur Adivasi Cooperative Vegetable Marketing Federation Limited (Vegfed) ? bears a deserted look today as 17 of its employees were terminated without any prior notice.

These employees were with the company since its inception for the past 15 years.

Managing director of the company Parmanand Jha sacked the employees terming their appointment ?illegal?.

He took the action after the employees went on a strike demanding regularisation of services. The action was taken on the 35th day of their strike.

The company, which has assets to the tune of crores and is headed by an IAS officer, purchases fruits and vegetables directly from farmers and sells them to the government institutions and sports centres.

Jha said the institution, which used to earn Rs 20,000 every day from the sale of vegetables and fruits, has not earned a single penny for the past 35 days. The situation has compelled the consumers of the federation to switch over to other sources for vegetables and fruits.

?We have started purchasing vegetables from the open market since the federation had stopped supply,? said Ashok Kumar Singh, kitchen-in-charge of a city hotel.

Sources at SAI centre said Ranchi University Cooperative Society has started supplying vegetables for the centre?s kitchen now.

Sunil Kumar Yadav, general secretary of the Jharkhand State Vegfed Daily Wage Employee Association, expressed concern over the situation and held Jha responsible.

?The managing director was conspiring with some non-government organisations and private contractors to deprive farmers of their legitimate right of selling their agricultural produces directly. In order to do so he terminated services of all employee at one go without making alternative arrangements for the running of the institution,? Yadav said.

Jha, however, said the institution would resume work soon. ?We have planned to take the help of cooperative societies to revive the federation. We have shortlisted 30 of the 87 cooperative societies associated with us to compensate the shortage of the employees, who have been terminated from their services. The employees were terminated as they were appointed illegally,? he said.