From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Nov 12: Six prominent cooperators, including a retired official of the State Cooperation Department, have been chosen for the Sahakara Ratna awards to be presented during the inaugural function of the State-wide Cooperation Week  being observed in Bangalore on Thursday.

Karnataka’s  Cooperation Minister H S Mahadeva Prasad said a committee comprising himself, Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Karnataka Cooperative Federation Chairman G T Deve Gowda and Cooperation Secretary C Somashekhara selected the awardees out of about 140 entries.

While one each of the awardees have been selected from each of the revenue divisions, one was selected from Bangalore Urban region and one from among retired officials of the Department, he said.

The awardees include: Shekharagouda Virupakshagouda Mali Patil, President, District Cooperative Union, Koppal from Gulbarga division; D R Patil, former MLA, Gadag from Belgaum division; M N Rajendra Kumar, President, Dakshina Kannada District Central Cooperative (DCC) Bank from Mysore Division; K N Rajanna, Madhugiri MLA and President of Tumkur DCC Bank from Bangalore Division; S T Somashekar, Yeshwanthpur MLA and President of Karnataka State Cooperative Housing Federation from Bangalore urban and C N Parashivamurthy, retired additional registrar of cooperative societies from the department.

Mahadeva Prasad said each of the individual chosen for the award has contributed immensely to the cooperative movement while denying suggestions that all were Congress functionaries.

The award carries a gold-coated 100 gm silver medal, Rs 50,000 cash and a certificate.

The awards would be presented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during the inaugural of the cooperation week at Gollarahatti on Magadi Road near Bangalore on November 14.