Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Apr 4: Yashpal A Suvarna has been elected again for the fourth consecutive term as the president of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi District Cooperative Fish Marketing Federation.

Purushotham Ameen Ullal has been chosen as its vice president while Anand A, Sathish R Salian, Ramachandra Kunder, Shivaji S Ameen, Devappa Kanchan, Suresh Salian, Rama Kanchan, Chidananda, Sudheer Shriyan, Usharani, Sudhakar, Baby H Salian, and Indira got elected as directors.

Director of audits, Mangaluru, Maheshwarappa, functioned as the returning officer for the election held at the federation's board meeting held on Wednesday April 3.

After Suvarna took over as president of the federation in 2009, he opened new business sections like prawns, diesel, sale of fishing equipment, banking department etc. He also implemented different central and state government schemes and with his efforts, led the federation to register total turnover of over Rs 250 crore from Rs 46 crore when he took over. The federation has won several central and state level awards and also the awards instituted by Indian Oil Corporation. He also has seen to it that the pay of the staff of the federation is hiked and kept on war with the government scales, besides providing the employees with various facilities. All the offices of the federation are computerised with internet connection. Its banking business has also increased manifold.

A release of the federation said that in the coming days, it plans to open new branches and expand its banking business, set up self help groups with 25,000 members and grant loans to them at two percent interest. In addition, it has plans to encourage consumption of fish, provide fresh food items made of fish through fish canteens all over the state, and to set up fish processing and cold storage units.