I was posted to Mumbai office. I was alloted a flat in the Multi Storey Building, on 7th floor. Dr Kurien used to visit the Mumbai office once in while. One evening, I called for the elevator to go down. It is an old elevator and has single call button. So one can not know…
Audit of Anand Pattern Cooperatives As per the bylaws of Anand Pattern cooperatives, 50 % of the profits earned by the society were to be distributed as bonus to its members, based on the transaction each member had with the cooperative. After the first set of cooperatives had completed its first financial year (1974-75), I…
Most of my former colleagues are now very senior citizens. Many of them are not technology savvy. To set up this blog dedicated to audio stories was a technological challenge for me too. It has taken me three days to finally figure out a way to upload audio files on Vrikshamandir. I decided not to…
Shri Narayan Rane meets Dr. V. Kurien Shri. Manohar Joshi was Chief Minister of Maharashtra during 1995-99. Shri.Narayan Rane was holding portfolio of Revenue and Dairying in his ministry. I was working as State coordinator of Maharashtra at NDDB, Mumbai office, and therefore, I had to meet Shri. Narayan Rane frequently. Shri. Narayan Rane belongs…
State Bank of India Loan for Milch Animals Loan was synonymous with cooperative. When we talked to farmers on formation of cooperatives, the first question invariably asked was whether we will give loan for purchase of milch animals (cows and buffaloes). Rightly so, most of the milk cooperatives formed were for advancing loans. Loan was…
I am referring to the emotional side, yes emotional side of the man whom, at least I had never seen that way anytime before. This happened in Madras-now Chennai sometime in 1986-87. He was in Madras and I had coincided my visit to Madras office as he wanted me to accompany him to the…
Take over Nilgiri Dairy As the days passed, the Spearhead Team organised several cooperatives, covering most of the potential villages from where Nilgiri Dairy Farm (NDF) and other private agencies procured milk. We intensified our extension activities and educated the farmers: how the private sector operated and exploited the producers. The private sector made huge…
We had sent the bye laws to the Registrar of Cooperatives, Government of Karnataka for approval. As expected, there were a number of objections raised by the office of the Registrar and they suggested that a meeting be held between Regional Director NDDB and the Registrar. I therefore called on the Registrar in his office…
Most NDDB the bosses were considered to be tough. However, there was another side too in behaviour of seniors officers of NDDB. Here is a story depicting concern for the family of NDDB officers by NDDB Chairman, Dr. Miss Amrita Patel. NDDB was assigned responsibility of reviving defunct milk unions of Saurashtra and Kutch during…
Don’t Open Account with Cooperative Bank! But why ? When the first set of Anand Pattern cooperatives were ready, we had to open its accounts with a bank. The team was particular that the accounts were opened with the district cooperative bank. However, to our surprise, the Deputy Milk Commissioner Cooperation advised us to open…
Looking back to my days at NDDB (1969-1996), I feel I was lucky to have worked for Dr. V. Kurien, the legend, at some point of time. Those days Dr.Kurien used to hold two positions; General Manager, Kheda District Milk Producers Union Limited ( AMUL) ` and Chairman,NDDB. Morning hours he would spend time at…
Dr. Madhavan shares his reminiscences in a series of articles. He has named these memoirs as “Feast of Memories”. Spearhead Team was an innovative intervention for replication of a successful organisational system of cooperative dairying in Anand to other parts of India. Dr Madhavan talks about pricing system of milk and interaction between the Spearhead…
