Port Blair, Nov 20: On the occasion of Celebration of 61st All India Cooperative Week, 2014, The A & N state Cooperative Union, Port Blair Organized a seminar at Jawaharlal Nehru Rajakeeya Mahavidyalaya, Port Blair on 19th November 2014 on the topic “Cooperatives for Better Living”.
Shri. Devender Singh Nijjar, Secretary (Edn), A&N Administration was the chief guest on the occasion. The programe was attended by large number of people from different cooperatives, SHGs, Youth, Students of JNRM besides office bearers and executives of central & apex level cooperatives and cooperative department. The programme was started with the lighting of traditional lamp by the Chief Guest followed by a welcome song presented by the management students of Rajiv Gandhi Cooperative training College of A & N state Cooperative union.
While addressing the huge gathering, the Chief Guest appreciated the effort being put by the A&N State cooperative Union for strengthening the Cooperative Movement of A&N Islands. He said, today cooperatives are the part and parcel of our life and it is the life blood of our nation, too. Cooperation starts from our own family first and, it has spreaded in every group activity for making the work more easily and effective, said the chief Guest. He also put on light the role being played by housing cooperatives for providing a better living, ensuring social integration and communal harmony and apprised the gathering about the contributions of housing cooperatives. He appealed the cooperative movement of A&N the need for strengthening the functioning of housing cooperatives of A&N Islands. The Chief Guest also appealed that more cooperative societies may be promoted including Thrift and Credit Cooperatives of working class people.
Earlier, Shri. Kuldeep Rai Sharma, Chairman, A&N State cooperative Union, while welcoming the Chief Guest and the august gathering briefed the purpose celebration of Cooperative Week every year. He said, the Cooperative union is striving to hard to strengthen the movement further because cooperatives can generate gainful employment opportunities and self employment to the unemployed youth. He also dealt on the need participation of youth in the cooperatives. The Chairman further said the cooperative Union has taken in hand more vocational training programmes aiming to improve the skill of the rural poor particularly women for employment opportunities besides its Cooperative education and Training programes.
Shri. Suresh Babu.S, Principal, Rajiv Gandhi Cooperative Training College spoke on the topic “Cooperatives for Better Living”. He said, Cooperatives have strengthened the common man to become self reliant through democracy and self help. A large number of lower and middle income families have been provided affordable shelter through cooperative efforts. He said housing cooperatives have proved to be an example where members voluntarily chose to live in association with each other and remove conflicts and tensions and help to build an ideal society in which people live with mutual trust, understanding, who work together for common welfare thereby ensuring better living for their members.
Dr. R Rajvel, HOD, Dept of Commerce, JNRM Port Blair also spoke on the occasion. The programme was culminated with an inter school dance competition in which 8 schools participated and mesmerized the audience through their dance performance. The Kendriya Vidyalaya No II bagged the First price while senior secondary School Batubasti and Govt Girls Senior secondary School, Port Blair adjudged second and Third prize respectively. While giving away the cash prizes to the winning team, the Chief Guest appreciated all teams who performed their dance performance.
The programme was ended with the vote of thanks proposed by Shri. Anant Rao, General Secretary, A & N State Cooperative Union.
