Sept. 20: The Karimganj Wholesale Co-operative Society, which was on the verge of closure about four years ago, has been brought back to life, thanks to the efforts of its current chairman and employees.

The chairman of the society, Rajat Chakraborty, said: “We are indebted to former co-operative minister Misbahul Islam Laskar for giving a new lease of life to the dying society. He personally took the initiative and provided financial assistance to help the society resume its business.”

Chakraborty, who took charge as the society’s chairman on April 13, 2002, said the organisation was struggling to survive at that time with its burden of Rs 16 lakh loan and an additional Rs 2-lakh fine slapped on it for not depositing the amount of Employees’ Provident Fund on time.

Crippled by the funds crunch, the society had failed to pay salaries to employees and stopped their increment. No one was ready to take over the charge then, he said.

Explaining the milestones achieved by the society during his tenure, Chakraborty said it has given increments to its employees and paid their arrears besides giving voluntary retirement to 14 employees. It has also resumed purchase of essential commodities from the Food Corporation of India (FCI), which it had to suspend owing to the financial crisis.

Now, 20 out of the total 29 panchayat-level co-operative societies in the district have started purchasing essential commodities from it. Earlier, they used to buy them directly from the FCI, he said.

Chakraborty said the society has extended financial assistance of Rs 80,000 to the District Co-operative Society and the assistant registrar of the co-operative societies for construction of new office buildings.

He added that the society is also planning to construct a market complex on its own land. The society has also opened a departmental sales counter, Sahachari, in Karimganj town to showcase and sell its products.