Imphal, November 06 2010: The remarkable success of UNACCO group of families during the past eight years since its inception in 2002 was vividly highlighted with a grand celebration on the private company's 9th foundation day held on the premises of the UNACCO School of Excellence at Khongman Zone-III in Imphal East District today.

Deputy chairman of State Planning Board and MLA of Thongju assembly constituency, Bijoy Koijam was the chief guest at the 9th UNACCO Foundation Day Celebration 2010 which was organized by UNACCO Financial Services Pvt Ltd, UNACCO Foundation Trust and UNACCO Social Development Trust, Khongman Zone-III, Imphal East District.

Speaking on the occasion, Bijoy Koijam said that now-a-days the UNACCO, of which young employees, wearing uniform, suits and ties, just don't move around to collect loans, but also give financial assistance to thousands of poor people to help them start some kind of self-employment.

While many so-called financial institutions in Manipur have closed down, UNACCO is the only one surviving as it's successful.

It is an institution which changed the system of micro finance in the society, Bijoy said.

Talking about the UNACCO School of Excellence which is scheduled to be opened next academic year, the Deputy Chairman said that the school will also become good and successful as anything done by a good and successful organization becomes good.

In a lighter vain, Bijoy Koijam said, the recent flood has spawned many candidates who aspire to contest the next general election.

He amused the large gathering by narrating a tale that the Konjeng-kokphai (a tiny amphibian winged insect) stands on a huge cluster of hyacinth in the Loktak lake with its tiny wings spread when winds rock the hyacinth, and the Konjeng-kokphai tells itself that "I am very strong, I can move this cluster of hyacinth" .

Bijoy Koijam further told the gathering, which was largely composed of local people of Khongman in Thongju A/C, that until the work on Khongman moat project starts, he won't ask the people to vote for him.

Sanamani Yambem, former General Manager, NABARD and former Pro VC, ICFAI University, Mizoram, who was one of the guests of honour, appreciated the way UNACCO group of families has grown over the last eight years, and said that it is the time micro finance was commercialised while the social objective was kept in mind.

UNACCO has been doing that same balancing as the private company is going to open UNACCO School of Excellence which is aiming at providing a modern and excellence primay education.

This itself is what UNACCO repays the society for what the company had taken from it, Sanamani opined.

P Bharat, IAS, retired Commissioner, who was a guests of honour at the function, eulogised the successful activities and achievements of UNACCO which is employing more than 500 staff employees and has about one lakh clients.

Apart from opening branch offices in Assam and Meghalaya, the UNACCO has also opened its office in Kolkata, West Bengal, P Bharat noted and added that opening the UNACCO School of Excellence is a great service to the people.

Easy lending and easy recovery is UNACCO's tool.

Bharat profusely praised the Managing Director of UNACCO, N Irabanta's capability, leadership and organising skills and expressed confidence that the school to be opened next academy year will also become a great success.

Another guest of honour, Dr IS Khaidem, former Chairman of Manipur Public Service Commission and former VC of Manipur University, appreciated the enthusiasm of UNACCO in opening a school which is targeting to provide the most modern primary and secondary education.

Praising the success of UNACCO, Dr Khaidem observed that success could be achieved by just an individual.

Ph Surendra, District and Session Judge, Manipur East, who was also a guest of honour at the function remarked that people earlier thought that UNACCO would be just another financial institution like many others which have disappeared after collecting money from people with false promises that big loans will be given.

But the high level organitional skills of UNACCO have made it greatly successful.

Talking about present education system in Manipur, the Judge observed that there are government schools of which pass percentage was nill while private schools were doing much better.

Emphasis should be given to education in Manipur, he said and hoped that the UNACCO School of Excellence would give modern education and produce students who would become good citizens.

Dr Ng Bijoy, MLA of Khurai A/C, who attended the function as a guest of honour, opined that primary and secondary education is important but quality higher education is also very important.

He stressed the need for providing quality education in Manipur.

He regretted that there are highly educated youths who excel in their studies within the four walls of the class rooms but are not practical outside the classrooms.

Dr Kh Palin, Managing Director of Shija Hospitals and Research Institute, as a guest of honour, said that Manipur is poorer due to huge amount of money that has been channelled out of Manipur for health and education.

He endorsed the plan of UNACCO to start a school that would give modern education to citizens of Manipur.

Four walls of class rooms should not numb the students, he said.

N Irabanta, Managing Director of UNACCO Financial Services Pvt Ltd, who presided over the function said that new challenges, new skills, new ideas, etc.

have become essential for a company like UNACCO in present time.

As of now, the company has one lakh active members and over 500 staffs.

Once the school is opened, more staffs would have to be appointed.

The company is targeting at reaching one million mark clients by 2015.It is a challenge of UNACCO group of families and every one in it.

He said the company does not forget the social cause which is the basic cause in micro finance.

That is why the company is going to open a school, and a yoga centre has already been opened on the premises of the UNACCO head office.

The company is giving scholarship to 400 students of Assam and Meghalaya before the 15th of every month, apart from giving scholarship to many meritorious students in Manipur.

The best international standard education system is being planned for the UNACCO School of Excellence in which technological advancement would be applied, Irabanta said.

Qualified and deserving candidates may apply for the posts of teachers at the UNACCO School, Irabanta said and assured that best teachers would be appointed.

The board of trustees is considering to pay the teachers' salary on par with that of government teachers, the Managing Director announced.

Chief editor of ISTV news Yumnam Rupachandra also spoke at the function as an invitee.

Chief guest of the function, Bijoy Koijam launched the website of UNACCO School of Excellence on the occasion.

Cash incentives sponsored by UNACCO were also presented to meritorious students of the local areas.

Gifts were also presented to local senior citizens.

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