Avoid pomp in coop congress: K.C. Joseph

Alleges compulsory collection of money as donation from societies has started

Congress leader and former minister K.C. Joseph has called on the government to ensure that the upcoming Sahakarana Congress (Cooperative Congress) here next month is a business session sans extravagance and pomp.

In a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is scheduled to inaugurate the three-day meet of Cooperative Congress at the Indoor Stadium at Mundayad here on February 10, Mr. Joseph said the eighth Sahakarana Congress being organised ‘by spending crores of rupees’ should be a business session without excess and squander.

‘Financial crisis’

There was no justification for organising the event by spending crores óf rupees when the State was facing a severe financial crisis and natural calamities, he said.

He alleged that lakhs of rupees were being compulsorily collected as donation from cooperative societies for mobilising funds for the congress.

Rally planned

It was also learnt that a massive rally of one lakh people was planned as part of the congress, he said, calling for austerity in the organisation of the three-day congress. Money thus saved could be contributed to the cyclone Ockhi relief fund, he added.

Mr. Joseph, also the MLA of the Irikkur Assembly constituency, said that if the Sahakarana Congress was planned to be held as a party fair of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the United Democratic Front would had to consider whether it should cooperate with the event.