Balasubramanian G Iyer, the new Regional Director of ICA Asia-Pacific was in town meeting the cooperative leaders and having a firsthand knowledge of cooperatives in this part of the world.
Mr Iyer would join Delhi headquarters of the regional ICA office from 1st of April though he would relocate himself here only after 14th of April. Readers would recall that the ICA Appointment Board had recently cleared Iyer’s name to head the ICA Asia-Pacific as the tenure of Dr Chan Ho Choi came to an end December last.
Balu, as he is popularly known went visiting National Cooperative Union of India office where he met its President Chandra Pal Singh Yadav who found the time even amid his busy election schedule to meet him.
Later he paid a short visit to IFFCO office and met Dr G N Saxena, Director Cooperative Relations. “I will meet Dr U S Awasthi after I formally take charge”, Iyer confided to Indian Cooperative.
Talking of his connection to cooperatives Iyer said ”though based in USA for the last 17 years I had regularly been visiting this part of the world including Bangladesh and Pakistan in connection with my NGO’s assignment.”
Appreciating the cooperative model of development Iyer seemed convinced that milk and credit cooperatives have made a difference in the lives of the people and there is a need to expand the concept to encompass other areas.
“Any model which has people at the centre is great. People have a say in the cooperative model of development and thus it is intrinsically superior”, he added.
“Frankly speaking I had no idea earlier of the size and scale of the cooperative sector and I was amazed at the revelation. Working with the canal management I realized that organizing people in cooperatives to reap benefits could be so satisfying. Governments build up infrastructure but we have to develop our own delivery system and cooperative is best suited to it”, Balasubramanian said.
Accompanied by the outgoing RD Dr Choi Mr Iyer admitted that he knows little about the local challenges cooperatives face in this part of the world. “With Dr Choi’s guidance I would pick up things sooner than later”, he said exuding confidence.