On the occasion of its 38th AGM held in the NCUI headquarters in Delhi Kribhco bestowed the Sahakarita Vibhushan Award and the Sahakarita Shiromani Award on Mahendra Kumar Nayak and Suresh Patel respectively.
While Nayak is from Cuttak Odisha, Patel is from Surat, Gujarat. Due to his genuine passion with farm and co-operative Nayak has been honored a number of times by the Odisha govt as the best cooperator of the state.
A widely travelled man Nayak is credited with strengthening the co-op structure in the state pf Odisha. His efforts to empower farming communities are appreciated even by his adversaries, said a brochure of Kribhco.
Suresh Patel, who bagged the Shiromani Award is from Bardoli-land of Iron man of India Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and he carries in him the same spirit of fighting for farmers and sugar co-ops tirelessly, claims Kribhco sources.
Patel has been active in many fields including education, health and youth employment. Patel is also credited with
introducing ultramodern technology in co-op sugar factories and does not betray a particle of hesitation if he has to meet the Prime Minister for solving farmers’ problems.
A committed BJP man, Patel was emotional when he got the Award. “Had it been anybody other than Chandra Pal Singh as Kribhco Chairman I would not have got this award; we belong to different political parties and yet Chandra Palji has chosen me; I stand humbled and salute his co-op spirit which transcends party lines”, Patel was effusive in his praise.
Visibly pleased with the adulation, Chandra Pal interrupted Patel and said” co-operative is a politically neutral movement and we all are first cooperators before anything.”
