Can you tell me in detail about the Kisan Seva Trust (IKST) of Indian Farmers Fertiliser Co-operative Limited (IFFCO)?

The mission of Indian Farmers Fertiliser Co-operative Limited (IFFCO) is to enable Indian farmers to prosper through timely supply of reliable, high quality agricultural inputs and services in an environmentally sustainable manner and to undertake other activities to improve their welfare.

IFFCO has promoted several institutions and organisations to work for the welfare of farmers, strengthening cooperative movement, improve Indian agriculture. Indian Farm Forestry Development Cooperative Ltd (IFFDC), Cooperative Rural Development Trust (CORDET), IFFCO Foundation, IFFCO Kisan Sewa Trust (IKST) belong to this category.

IFFCO Kisan Seva Trust (IKST)

IFFCO established "IFFCO Kisan Sewa Trust” to provide relief and cure to the victims in the event of natural calamities like floods, earthquakes, droughts, cyclones, landslides etc. and to undertake programmes for the welfare and critical medical attention of needy farmers including projects aimed at improving their quality of life.

Resulting upon the massive earthquake in Gujarat in January, 2001, IFFCO created Kisan Sewa Fund (KSF) which is now widely known as “IFFCO Kisan Sewa Trust (IKST)”.

IKST was created out of contributions from IFFCO, Employees of IFFCO and Cooperative Societies.

The Trust commence variety of activities to aid needy farmers living below poverty line for providing medical assistance by organising Eye Camps, free Health and Ayurvedic Free Check up Camps, Financial assistance to Rural Hospitals for distribution of medicines among farmers, providing medical equipments, arranging for blood through Red Cross Society and financial assistance to various hospitals for the treatment of poor farmers.

During the year, the Trust spent Rs. 1.76 crore towards its activities for providing critical medical assistance to the patients.

IKST expanded its scope and decided that besides providing financial assistance in critical medical cases, IKST may also consider providing scholarships to the children of poor farmers living "Below Poverty Line". The scholarship has been titled as "Shri Surinder Kumar Jakhar Scholarship".