IFFCO has pledged to help the victims of the worst quake that claimed staggering toll in Nepal and other countries including India. The cooperative’s arm IFFCO Kisan Sewa Trust (IKST) is at the forefront dispatching relief materials.
Expressing his sympathy IFFCO Managing Director Dr. U S Awasthi announced this through a tweet “Heartfelt sympathies of #IFFCO with d victims of #Nepal Earthquake. Our Trust: IKST is dispatching relief material for d #NepalQuakeVictims.”
Consequent upon the massive earthquake in Gujarat in January, 2001, IFFCO created IKST which provides relief and rehabilitation to the victims in the event of natural calamities like floods, earthquakes, droughts, cyclones, landslides etc.
IKST was created out of contributions from IFFCO, Employees of IFFCO and Cooperative Societies. Even in normal times IKST assists needy farmers living below the poverty line by providing medical assistance organising Eye Camps, free Health checkups and related activities, claims its website.
The death toll from the 7.8-magnitude quake currently stands at 7,056, according to Nepali authorities. More than 15,000 people have been injured. According to a Minister from Nepal , it is expected to climb higher.
To compound the problem, CNN reports Nepal has been forced to close its only international airport to big airplanes flying in relief supplies and aid workers because its only runway is degrading fast under the weight of large aircraft.
Working towards cooperative to cooperative interaction IFFCO has, meanwhile decided to distribute relief materials through the apex cooperative body of Nepal called Nepal Cooperative Federation NCF.
MD ‘s tweet reads“ This material will be distributed in consultation with #nepal #cooperative federation (NCF)”. The National Cooperative Federation of Nepal is the apex body of the cooperative movement representing about 27,000 cooperatives operating throughout the country. The NCF is also a member of International Cooperative Alliance, ICA.
Buoyed by MD’s tweet IFFCO PR Head Harshendra Verdhan wrote on FB detailing IFFCO’s efforts. He also tweeted “ Excellent Decision taken by @drusawasthi for providing relief to #Nepal Quake Victims. #IFFCO serving society.”