The statue of former chairman of IFFCO Surender Jakhar was unveiled by Shri N.P Patel at Surender Jakhar Bhawan in Gurgaon on Tuesday on the eve of his first death anniversary.
The occasion was graced by cooperators in large number. Shri Balram Jakhar,father of late Surender Jakhar and Smt Kanta Jakhar, wife of late leader, his son and host of family members were also present. IFFCO’s Managing Director Dr. US Awasthi, Vice Chairman of IFFCO, Directors and others were present on the occasion.
Paying tributes to the great champion of farmers’ cause Late Surender Jakhar, IFFCO Chairman Shri Patel announced setting up of Surender Jakhar IFFCO Trust at his village Abhoher in Punjab with a corpus fund of Rs 5 crore and a monthly contribution of Rs 10 lakh per month for 3 years.
Surender Jakhar lived for farmers and the newly established Trust is an effort to fulfill his dream of helping farmers. The Trust would set up high-tech horticulture processing centre where farmers would be trained, Shri Patel added.
Speaking on the occasion Dr U S Awasthi said that today is the 365th day without the great leader and I could not express the loss I feel at his demise. Fighting tears Dr Awasthi said that when I look at his statue it seems as if he is still there.
People of even his family may not be aware of late leader’s entire gamut of personality. We have worked together and we know what a fine person was he. His love for IFFCO and his relentless effort to improve the lot of farmers are hard to find, he added.
It was his inspiration that the entire board decided to keep the price of fertilizer unchanged despite 25 percent erosion in the value of rupee thereby suffering loss to the tune of Rs 300 crores. Viability and sensitivity are pillars of any institution, Jakhar used to say and IFFCO is following these principles despite many hurdles created by power inimical to us, MD added.
A tearful Balram Jakhar thanked IFFCO profusely for showing such love and concern for his son and its former Chairman. Surender was godlike and how I wish the world to be populated by a soul like his, he said. Human material assessment is my field as I have been in several positions in govt and outside but I am yet to meet a man who could be as good as Surender, Senior Jakhar said in quivering voice.
Dr G N Saxena, Director of Cooperative development at IFFCO said that in international cooperative year (declared by UN) we vow to carry forward on the path shown by great leader.
