State co-operatives need brand image

kolkata: the 34,000 - odd co-operative organisations in west bengal, including about 7,000 banking units, have failed to grow outside the village markets, not because of lack of funds but mainly because of poor marketing efforts. we haven't been able to grow because there is a lack of proper integration between different units, confessed state co-operation secretary sukumar das on tuesday.we have an overflow of funds but the main setback is the absence of brand image, he said. unless big commercial houses market products of co-operatives, it would be difficult for the small co-operatives to do it by themselves. speaking at the inaugural function of samabaya utsav-o-mela, 2002 at the kolkata maidan, das added that the emphasis of co operative organisation was to improve the socio economic conditions of the people living below the poverty line in villages. organising the mela for the last two years das said that the responses were not very forthcoming. we were expecting big houses to approach us. the co operative units produce on small scale. it will become easier if we get orders from important clients to produce on a larger scale. the samabaya utsav-o-mela will be on till january 26. stalls for the fair have been put up by members of co operative organisations from districts across the state as well as states like orissa, tamil nadu and assam. we have urged members to come forward with their products. we are selling the products at a lower price than the market value so that people will be tempted to buy the products. this is the only way that we can market them since we do not have a proper brand image to lure people, said das. governor of west bengal, viren j. shah, minister-in-charge co operation and consumer affairs department narendranath de, minister-in-charge, department of agriculture, kamal guha, were present among others. kironmoy nanda and minister-in-charge, department of animal resource department, anisur rahman among others. according to das, the credit sector of the co operative organisations is the backbone of the co operative organisations. our funds are good. but our main emphasis is to help establish poor people. in fact, we have formed 17,000 self help groups where there are more than 130,000 women taking loans and forming their units. we are also urging non members to come forward and start their units, das added.