The pride of Indian cooperative movement IFFCO has fired the nation’s imagination by rising to the occasion and ensuring supply of a much-needed oxygen to the ailing population in the country in its own way.
Monday was the day when all the media houses ran the story of IFFCO taking a plunge in Oxygen production. Dailies big or small including Times of India, or Economic Times or Hindustan Times, etc ran the story prominently. TV channels were no exception.
These are the news publications and TV Channels which generally avoid anything related to co-operative, commented a cooperator calling Monday “a day of co-operatives” on national horizon because of IFFCO’s initiative.
Explaining the unusual media interest, one of the media commentators said “IFFCO has raised the bar not only for co-operatives but also for corporates. Not even one Corporate entity has shown empathy with the suffering people as done by IFFCO”, he added.
German scholar and media commentator P N Chaudhary credits IFFCO’s success and novelties to its MD Dr U S Awasthi’s rare professional skills. He writes “Dr U.S. Awasthi has invariably played a stellar role in raising the profile of the cooperative. It was his vision and efforts that led to the IFFCO expanding rapidly and diversifying into various activities including insurance.”
“Dr Awasthi who is an engineer by training knows how to accomplish goals. His extraordinary business acumen and tireless efforts yield astounding outcomes. It is said there are many in the cooperative world who envy Dr. Awasthi’s success as the IFFCO MD. And it is not surprising that he is often at the receiving end of a smear campaign.
However, such things barely worry him and he keeps forging ahead with vigour and vitality”, Chaudhary concludes.
It bears recall that IFFCO has announced setting up of four Oxygen Plants in different parts of the country to meet the challenge and contribute its bit. The first Oxygen plant in Kalol is likely to distribute the life-saver by next week, sources add.
The project would cost about Rs 30 crore and the plants will be put up at Kalol, Aonla, Phulpur and Paradeep. “The order has been already issued. It will take at least 15 days from today to transport, install and commission an oxygen plant. A dedicated team is working on this project. IFFCO will try to commission it as soon as possible for the service of the nation,” PTI report says.