Kerala: First five-star resort in cooperative sector opening today in Wayanad

K R Rajeev / TNN / Aug 17, 2021, 07:16 IST

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  Kerala: First five-star resort in cooperative sector opening today in Wayanad

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The resort is spread across four acres and situated close to Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary

KOZHIKODE: In a milestone for the over-a-century-old cooperative movement in the state, the country's first five-star resort in the sector will start functioning near Sulthan Bathery in Wayanad on Tuesday. The formal inauguration is scheduled in January.
The soft launch of Rs 100-crore Saptha Resort and Spa, spread across four acres and situated close to Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, will mark the foray of Kerala Land Reforms and Development Cooperative Society (Ladder), into the luxury hospitality sector.
It has 63 rooms, including four suit rooms, apart from facilities like a convention hall that can accommodate 500 guests, specialty restaurants, infinity pool, mini movie theatre and a gaming area. The three-floor resort also has a business centre and two board rooms.
"We forayed into the sector as tourism is the only dependable industry that Kerala can look forward to in the future. It offers the potential of marketing our nature, climate and destinations. We also want to give a message that nothing is impossible for the cooperative sector," said C N Vijayakrishnan, its founder chairman.

The resort is spread across four acres and situated close to Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary
Resort is 92km from Ooty
He said the state’s cooperative sector had been able to make successful forays into sectors ranging from education to health and agriculture and its entry would speed up the tourism growth rate and tourism infrastructure creation.
Vijayakrishnan, who has steered many pioneering initiatives in the cooperative sector including the Rs 350 crore MVR Cancer Centre and Research Institute, pointed out that Wayanad has a spectacular cricket stadium in Krishnagiri but the state has not been able to exploit it fully due to shortage of hotel rooms. The resort also has a locational advantage of being close to the trijuction of three states, with just 92km from Ooty and 115km from Mysore, he added.

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Youth Day: ICA showcases 25 young men committed to co-op model

Their video stories to be included in agenda in Seoul

by Staff Reporter

August 13, 2021

in Cooperative Coffee Shop

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 ICA is showcasing 25 Voices, featuring the stories of 25 members of the cooperative movement who are under the age of 25. These powerful stories, which come in the form of short videos, photographs and other digital media, offer real-life examples of how cooperatives make a difference.

To help drive this agenda, the World Cooperative Congress on 1-3 December will include youth events to inspire the next generation into a more sustainable way of working.

The world marks International Youth Day on 12 August, to highlight the challenges facing young people – and campaigners are highlighting the benefits of working together through cooperatives. The cooperative model – which brings the benefits of mutual support, economic ownership and autonomy at work – is uniquely placed to help young people negotiate their uncertain future of work. It can also help Generation Z work to realise its ideals for a more just and equitable world.

They include Guilherme Gimenez de Oliveira, 21, from Brazil, who is taking a degree in cooperative management and working at Sicredi, a finance cooperative with 4 million members which works to improve local incomes.

He said: “The cooperative business model showed me a different way to look at money and people. Before I felt that to achieve goals, people had to do things for themselves, and as individuals. But I learned that through the cooperative model we can achieve goals by doing things together.”

Another member of this group, Parinaz Asareh, 20, from Iran, belongs to the Raheroshd Cooperative, which works to improve the teaching system and school curriculum.

She said: “As long as there are people who have the same goal and share the same concerns for themselves and their community, forming a cooperative is the smartest way to achieve said goal.”

Smayah Uwajeneza, 22, from Rwanda added, “Cooperatives are the best way to forge equality, diversity and inclusion.”

And from the United Kingdom, Iwan Doherty, 23, feels strongly that, “Cooperatives are the building blocks that allow power to be equally distributed which creates a society that is fairer and more prosperous.”

Meanwhile, the ICA #CoopYouth Network, formed in 2003, has been working hard on a series of initiatives to help young people form their own cooperatives and find a voice in the cooperative movement.

The Youth Network is finalising four major projects as part of its Action Plan: the creation of the ICA Youth Committee, the Replication Project to create new youth cooperatives, a mapping project to help people find cooperatives and support bodies, and the publication of best practices and a toolkit.

The best practices and toolkit will be ready for the #WorldCoopCongress, a hybrid event which will be held online and in Seoul, the Republic of Korea, from 1-3 December. A workshop will be held before the Congress in Seoul to discuss the online, interactive document, designed to provide inspiration and advice for youth to form and develop cooperatives.

Also, the publication “Young people and cooperatives: a perfect match?” was released earlier this year, presenting research and analysis based upon the direct input of young people in 20 countries. Produced in the framework of the ICA-EU Partnership (#coops4dev), external support for the research was provided by the Co-operative College (UK), with conclusions and recommendations developed in collaboration with the ICA Youth Network.

 

Amul: Unleashing the power of the many

Amul’s history began just a year before India’s birth as a free nation. And like its motherland, it too emerged out of protest. Angered by the exploitative actions of middlemen, farmers in a small town in Gujarat banded together to form a milk co-operative – the Kaira District Milk Producers Union. Its first diary was set up at Anand in Gujarat. The initials of the Anand Milk Union spawned – Amul – not just India’s most powerful dairy brand but an even more powerful symbol of co-operative action. Amul spawned the ‘White Revolution’ in India, powering the nation to the top of the world milk production league. Even more important, India is the world’s largest dairy market dominated by farmer-owned cooperatives – more than 16 million dairy farmers banded together in more than 223 district co-operatives. It has changed the nutritional map of India – 12 per cent of the protein intake of Indians comes from milk and milk products, more than pulses, meat, poultry or fish. The most successful farmer cooperative leadership model in the global food industry is something which arguably no other Indian enterprise is – a role model for the developing world.

 

       MODEL TRAINING PROGRAM FOR WOMEN ENTERPRENEURESHIP COOPERATIVE

 

 Online interactive webinars led by global business experts and thoughtleadersOne-on-one mentoring from senior business professionalsIndividual applied learning activities Online and offline peer networking and feedbackThe USA Women Entrepreneurship Cooperative (USAWEC) is a 3-month businessleadership and management blended-learning program run by the Center forGlobal Enterprise (CGE).
The inaugural cohort of U.S.-based entrepreneurs will run from August 1-October 30, 2021 and will expose 50 female business owners to the skills neededto build successful, resilient, and scalable businesses. Delivered by renowned business leaders and covering three critical managementareas for capacity-building including finance, operations, and sales & marketing;the curriculum is designed to meet American business owners’ most pressingneeds, especially in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. CGE has a proven track record of designing innovative, collaborative, and highlyengaging applied learning programs. Participants are matched with programmentors and peer groups, enabling them to gain valuable network connectionsand practical insights. The program's blended-learning model delivers high-impact through thefollowing core program activities: The USAWEC pilot program is inspired by the success of the African WomenEntrepreneurship Cooperative (AWEC), a 12-month, high-touch leadership andmanagement learning program that empowers women from across Africancontinent with the skills and networks needed to build resilient, sustainable andscalable businesses. In the past three years, AWEC has directly impacted more than 600 womenbusinesses owners from 52 African countries, enabling them to increase theirrevenue, hire new employees, raise capital, and strengthen critical businessmanagement skills, despite the challenges of a global pandemic.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW
USAWECThe Center for Global Enterprise Initiative

WHO CAN APPLY ?
USAWECThe Center for Global Enterprise Initiative
Founders of businesses in the United States of America and its territories that havebusinesses in operation for at least two years in any industry, and have at least oneemployee (either full time or part-time) Past business owners in the United States of America and its territories that hadbusinesses in operation for at least two years in any industry, with at least oneemployee (either full time or part-time) and currently shut down due to the COVID-19pandemic.Individuals who are willing and able to work remotely, embrace teamwork andcollaboration, and are comfortable using digital tools (Zoom, Slack, WhatsApp, etc.)Proficient in verbal and written EnglishAble to regularly (weekly) access the Internet through a computer or tabletUSAWEC admissions do not discriminate based on race, religion, age, disability,marital status, education, business revenue, or geographic location.Women who are OR

Note: Founders of NGOs or nonprofit organizations are not eligible to apply for this pilotprogram.

WHAT WE LOOK FOR?
Vision, passion, empathy, and resilienceBusiness clarity and commitmentDesire to scale their businessUSAWEC seeks to build a diverse cohort in which participants share some consistent characteristics:HOW YOU WILL BENEFIT?
USAWECThe Center for Global Enterprise Initiative
Form connections with a diverse network of American women entrepreneurs andbusiness leadersEstablish a relationship with a senior business mentorStrengthen strategy, leadership and business management skillsGain practical skills in finance, operations, and sales and marketing needed to grow andscale their enterpriseDevelop a toolkit of soft skills, including self-confidence, resilience and collaborationUpon successful completion of the 3-month program, participants will:

Spend an average of 4-6 hours per week participating in USAWEC activities, primarilyin a remote formatBe matched with a mentor and to take ownership of their mentor/mentee relationshipBe introduced to a peer group, and actively contribute to group discussions and activitiesParticipate in at least one USAWEC activity per week throughout the program,including zoom-enabled meetingsBe challenged, stretched, and inspired as they acquire new knowledge Develop skills, build their peer network, and transform their businessesGain access to a program advisor from whom they can seek support when neededRespond to periodic program surveys Participants should expect to:
WHAT TO EXPECT?
IMPORTANT DATES
The USAWEC application window will be open from June 9-June 23, 2021The inaugural Cohort will run from August 1, 2021 to October 30, 2021 including a five day
online orientation period during the last week of July 2021. Monthly activities include: a live speaker session, assignment, peer session, peer feedback and1:1 mentoring session. Welcome session will be held on August 3, 11:00 AM-12:00 PM ETLive sessions will be held on August 5, September 9 & October 7 from 11:00 AM-12:30 PM ETMid-program keynote session will be held on September 23, 10:00-11:00 ETGeneral assembly for qualified participants will be held on November 3-4 in Nashville, whichwill provide an opportunity for networking and in-person learning (following appropriatevaccination, distancing protocols, and safety protocols

 

Increasing Cooperative Activities in Agriculture Sector

August 11, 2021

New Delhi : Assistance is provided under Central Sector Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Cooperation (CSISAC) scheme through National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) for promoting, developing and financing cooperatives undertaking various agriculture and allied activities. These comprise, inter alia, marketing, storage and processing of agricultural produce besides supply of agricultural inputs. Subsidy to the tune of 15% to 25% is provided to Cooperatives depending on the category of state in addition to term loan. Government also provides Guarantee for procurement operations of National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED).

Under CSISAC scheme assistance is provided for providing training to farmers who are members and employees of various types of cooperative societies through National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) and National Council for Cooperative Training (NCCT).

In order to ensure remunerative prices to farmers for their produce, government is implementing “Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan” (PM- AASHA). Under this scheme, the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) implements the Price Support Scheme (PSS) for procurement of pulses, oilseeds and copra. For oilseeds DA&FW also implements the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS).

Under Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), financial assistance is provided to Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS), federation of cooperatives, FPOs, Marketing Cooperative Societies, amongst others, for post harvest management infrastructure and building community farming assets.

Government is emphasising on increasing contribution of Cooperative societies, especially PACS, in setting up Agriculture Infrastructure in the country through AIF scheme.

This was stated by the Minister of State for Cooperation,  B.L.Verma in a written reply to question in the Rajya Sabha today.

                       CONSTITUTIONAL ROUTE TO STRENGHTHEN COOPERATIVES

 The 97th Constitution Amendment, which came into effect in 2012, was a major step towards infusing autonomy, democratnic function and essintioal management. The recent judgement of Supreme Court holding the amendment unconstitutional regarding cooperative societies under the control of the States is a reminder that even well-intentioned efforts towards reforms cannot be at the cost of the quasi-federal principles underlying the Constitution. The amendment added Part IXB to the Constitution, concerning cooperative societies. Part IXB delineated the contours of what State legislation on cooperative societies ought to contain, including provisions on the maximum number of directors in each society, reservation for seats for SCs, or STs, and women, besides the duration of the terms of elected members, among others. The question before the Court was whether the 97th Constitution Amendment impacted the legislative domain of the State Legislatures and, therefore, required ratification by half the legislatures, in addition to the required two-thirds majority in Parliament. The Gujarat High Court had found the amendment invalid for want of such ratification. The Supreme Court, by a 2:1 majority, upheld the judgment holding the amendment invalid, but only in relation to cooperatives under the States. The amendment would hold good for multi-State cooperative societies, on which Parliament was competent to enact laws.

Amendments to the Constitution must be ratified by 50% of the State legislatures. The Union government believed that as the subject of ‘cooperative societies’ in the State List was not altered in any way by the 97th Amendment, and that it only outlined guidelines on any law on cooperatives that the Assemblies may enact, the ratification was not necessary. A key principle from the judgment is that the ratification requirement will apply if there is any attempt to fetter the State legislatures in any way while enacting a law in their own domain, even if there is no attempt to alter the distribution of legislative powers between the Union and States. Thus, in the absence of ratification by the States, the amendment that sought to prescribe the outlines of State laws on a State subject did not pass constitutional muster. The judgment came at the time of formation of new Ministry of Cooperation, yet it wasenacted in December 2011.