Date:28/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/28/stories/2008122856051300.htm

Kerala

Award for Uralungal co-operative society

Special Correspondent

KOZHIKODE: The Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society (ULCCS) has won the award of National Co-operative Development Corporation (NCDC) for Co-operative Excellence for 2008.

The biennial award carries a cash prize of Rs.50,000 and a citation. Ramesh Palery, president, ULCCS, would receive the award from Union Minister for Agriculture Sharad Pawar in New Delhi on January 15, it was announced here.

The award was instituted by the NCDC in 2002, and is presented to primary cooperatives in recognition of their achievements and to motivate them for better performance.

ULCCS, a society registered under Co-operative Societies Act 1967, having its headquarters at Madapally in Vadakara, undertakes civil construction works. It has completed nearly 3,000 major projects in the State. Currently nearly 200 projects costing more than Rs.40 crore are in various stages of completion. The benefits and profits are either ploughed back or shared by the worker-members of the society.

The Kozhikode bypass, Edesserry Kadavu Bridge-Kozhikode Town Improvement work, and Sarovaram Project are some of the landmark works being executed by the society.

An ISO 9001:2001 certified organisation, the ULCCS is also poised to be a leading participant in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ), Kozhikode, for IT as it owns 25 acres there. ULCCS has consistently registered an annual growth of 35 per cent.

The society owns a captive quarry with granite stone deposit for a number of years and has modernised quarrying and crushing capacity. the ULCCS is an organisation with a difference as its directors also put in work daily at supervisory and other levels and earn wages like other members.