Mangaluru : M N Rajendra Kumar, will be conferred with the ‘Sahakari Bhushana’ award for he completes 25 years heading the South Canara District Central Cooperative (SCDCC) Bank,  at a programme at Nehru Maidan on January 19.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Dr D Veerendra Heggade will honour Rajendra Kumar for his achievement.

Speaking in a press conference at Uthkrushta Soudha  on January 14, Monday Deviprasad Shetty, president of the M N Rajendra Kumar felicitation committee, told media  that Rajendra Kumar has emerged as a beacon for the cooperative sector. The felicitation programme planned for Rajendra Kumar will also celebrate the decennial year of self help group ‘Navodaya’. Over two lakh SHG women will participate in the felicitation programme.

Deviprasad Shetty said that, to make the felicitation memorable, a museum tracing the genesis and milestones of the cooperative sector will be inaugurated. A committee has been set up to make the museum a reality. Stalwarts from the sector were considering proposals of building a hospital, tourism and information technology on the lines of cooperative model. A library with books tracing the birth and development of the cooperative sector in the state will be inaugurated on the fifth floor of the Bank’s old building.

“The statue of the father of cooperative sector Molavalli Shivaraya will be inaugurated on the occasion. The programme will include sessions tracing the challenges faced by the cooperative sector. A procession from SCDCC Bank premises with more than 50,000 people will be undertaken by Dr Mohan Alva, chairman of Alva’s Education Foundation. Union minister D V Sadananda Gowda will inaugurate the procession. There will also be cultural programmes,” said Shetty.

Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar, Cooperative Minister Bandeppa Kashappar, District In-charge Minister U T Khader, and former Union Minister M Veerappa Moily are expected to be present in the felicitation programme.