Thiruvananthapuram, August 20 : A three-day workshop to formulate policies for strengthening the State co-operative sector will be held at Munnar from August 22, Minister for Co-operation C N Balakrishnan said at a press conference held at P.R. Chambers here in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy would inaugurate the workshop christened 'Kerala Co-operatives Vision 2025' on Saturday at 2 p.m., the minister said.
A press release issued by the office of the minister confirmed that besides Minister C N Balakrishnan, Minister for Water Resources P J Joseph will take part in the workshop.
People's representatives, delegates from Reserve Bank and NABARD, representatives from the co-operative sector and legal luminaries are expected to participate in the workshop, which came about as a result of a promise made by the Co-operative minister in the Kerala Assembly during the discussion on demands for grants, the press release said.
The ideas evolved at the workshop, if need be, would be crystallized into a law, C N Balakrishnan said.
A symposium on evolving measures to utilise the investment in the co-operative sector for the development of the state would be inaugurated by Minister for Planning K C Joseph, he added. Sivadasan Nair MLA and Planning Board member C P John will take part in the symposium.
The workshop would have discussions on how to deal with the challenges likely to arise with the advent of payment banks and small finance banks, the minister said.
