New Delhi: Former President A P J Abdul Kalam today exhorted the management of cooperative fertiliser major Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (Iffco) to expand its horizon and undertake integrated development of villages due to its penetration in rural areas.

"I would suggest Iffco to re-orient its vision from excellence in production and marketing of fertilisers and related systems to become a partner in promoting overall rural development leading to prosperity of 6,00,000 villages," Kalam said here.

Delivering the annual Jawarharlal Nehru Memorial Iffco Lecture here, which was attended by the top management of the company, including its Chairman and Managing Director, the former President said Iffco should plan and execute Pura complexes in different parts of the country.

Pura, the word coined by Kalam, means providing urban amenities in rural areas. During NDA government s tenure, Pura was a major programme of the Rural Development Ministry.

Kalam also said by undertaking the job of Pura, "Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd will get transformed into Indian Farmers Flourishing Cooperative Ltd.

Iffco can constitute a Special Purpose Vehicle such as an agriculture and agro-processing special economic zone across the country making farmers of 40,000 cooperatives under its fold partners for execution of these Pura complexes, he said.

One of the aims would be to enhance farm productivity in the Pura complex by 3-4 times through technology, awareness and infrastructural infusion, he said.

Source : PTI