Aimed at promoting innovative ideas, the State government is planning to establish innovation centres under the educational institutions run by the Cooperative Academy of Professional Education (CAPE), Cooperative and Registration Department Minister V.N. Vasavan has said.
Inaugurating the International Cooperative Day here on Saturday, Mr. Vasavan said the cooperative sector in Kerala was striving to build a new knowledge society. The sector was making exemplary interventions in higher education. “Sensible interventions in higher education will create more employers than job-seekers,” he said.
The Minister said the Kollam District Cooperative Hospital had launched inpatient treatment with 120 beds. The Kerala Bank, meanwhile, was advancing with new ideas and also succeeded in mobilising over ₹9,000 crore through a month-long cooperative investment campaign. The Minister said there were plans to introduce a Bill in the Assembly to expand the scope of the cooperative sector.
Awards given away
He distributed awards to the best cooperative establishments on the occasion. The Robert Owen Award for the best cooperative member in Kerala was given to Gangadhara Kurup, former chairman of Consumer Fed.
The celebrations during the day began with Alex Varghese, Registrar of Cooperatives, hoisting the flag. State Cooperative Union chairman Koliakode Krishnan Nair inaugurated a seminar on cooperatives.
