Latest news with #CooperativeExpo
The Hindu
28-04-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Centre's attempts to centralise powers in the cooperative sector not in the best interests of the country: K.N. Balagopal
The BJP-led Union government's attempts to weaken the cooperative sector through centralisation of powers will significantly affect regional development, Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal said here on Monday. Speaking at the Cooperative Expo organised at the Kanakakkunnu grounds here by the Cooperation department, Mr. Balagopal said the unilateral decisions taken by the Union government in the cooperative sector were designed to assume control over the funds in the sector and its vast potential. The Centre was using multi-state cooperatives to push its policies through in the States. The attempts to centralise powers in the cooperative sector is not in the best interests of the nation, Mr. Balagopal said. The Centre should instead focus on empowering the cooperative sector which can benefit the common people both financially and in terms of employment, he said. While the cooperative sector are normally seen as credit societies, it can, in fact play a major role in taking the agriculture sector and the production sector forward, Mr. Balagopal said. Pachamama Coffee Vijoo Krishnan, general secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) and CPI(M) Polit Bureau member, underscored the need for the cooperatives to expand, drawing attention to the example of the Pachamama Coffee, which is governed through the farmer cooperative business model in the south and central Americas.
The Hindu
23-04-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurates Cooperative Expo
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday underscored the need for measures that help to preserve the confidence that the public has reposed in the State's cooperative sector. Mr. Vijayan was speaking after inaugurating the Cooperative Expo organised by the Department of Cooperation at the Kanakakkunnu Palace grounds. Cooperatives function as the backbone of the State's economy, Mr. Vijayan said. The number of cooperatives has gone up from approximately 3,000 at the time of the creation of the State to nearly 23,000. Deposits have soared to ₹2.5 lakh crore. This growth shows the confidence people have in the sector, which calls for actions that help preserve it, he said. The sector has created five lakh employment opportunities over the past four years. It has also made big strides in the area of value addition, the Chief Minister said. He urged cooperatives to enter the production sector, which would also help generate more jobs. More than 200 stalls The 2025 edition of the expo, which is on till April 30, showcases products and services from the cooperative sector. The event features more than 200 stalls. Minister for Cooperation V.N. Vasavan presided over the inaugural function. The expo, which kicked off on Monday, also features seminars on 12 topics pertinent to the sector. 122 delegates, including representatives from the U.S., Indonesia, Fiji and Spain, will be attending the sessions, according to the department.
The Hindu
21-04-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Expo showcases strength of cooperative movement in Kerala
The Cooperative Expo 2025 being organised by the Cooperative department at Kanakakkunnu here is an exhibition and marketing fair that showcases the strength of the cooperative movement in Kerala, Cooperative Society Registrar Sajith Babu has said. Addressing a press conference convened in connection with the Cooperative Expo at Kanakakkunnu from April 21 to 30, he said elaborate arrangements had been made for the expo. A variety of cooperative products will be displayed and marketed in more than 250 stalls set inside a 70,000-sq-ft pavilion. Twelve seminars on various topics will be organised as part of the expo and representatives from about seven countries, including Australia, Indonesia, and Fiji, will participate in the seminars. Minister for Cooperation V.N. Vasavan reviewed the arrangements for the expo at Kanakakkunnu. Bihar Minister for Cooperation Prem Kumar, along with Mr. Vasavan, visited the stalls at the expo, which will be formally inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on April 23. More than 250 air-conditioned exhibition stalls and a 12,000-sq-ft food court featuring a variety of dishes from different districts have been set up as part of the expo. The food court, run by entrepreneurs in the cooperative sector, will introduce the unique delicacies of all districts to the residents of Thiruvananthapuram. Various cultural programmes are also arranged in the evenings until April 30.
