THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: City-based Vattiyoorkavu Youth Brigade Entrepreneurs Co-operative Society (VYBECOS) gets due recognition in the state budget for its selfless work. Finance Minister K N Balagopal allocated a token provision of Rs 7 crore for the society for starting a Hi-Tech Neethi Lab and scanning centre.
The society, which is a brainchild of Vattiyoorkavu MLA V K Prasanth, is already doing yeomen service to the residents of the Vattiyoorkavu Assembly constituency. It was also included in the LDF Government’s 100-day programme.
Prasanth is confident of having the fund sanctioned soon. The “Mayor Bro” turned Vattiyoorkavu legislator has reasons to feel confident as he had implemented a slew of people-friendly projects in his constituency. He told TNIE that he is happy as the finance minister has sanctioned his proposal to enhance the existing VYBE health division.
“My plan was to provide job opportunities to the youths and to make them entrepreneurs. Within a short period, the VYBECOS team proved its mettle in various sectors. With a token provision of Rs 7 crore our proposal of setting up a laboratory and scanning centre has to be worked out further and implemented”, said Prasanth.
VYBECOS has seven divisions under it - health, products, green and tourism, adventure tourism, IT division, services, and media. Under VYBE health, the residents get to avail outpatient services at their homes at affordable rates where they can reserve it at the call centre, 04713512100.
The youth brigade also sells fresh fish in a mobile van, curry powders (washed, dried and ground) and bites (snacks) under their products range. Under the green and tourism division, the youth brigade has been engaged in providing kitchen bin facilities, which has been the brainchild of Prasanth when he was serving as the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Mayor.
Recently, the VYBECOS team has installed more than 13 adventure sports rides at Akkulam Adventure Tourism Park. Their IT division has been engaged in providing mobile applications for drinking water supply and rent management by TRIDA. C S Ratheesh, president, of VYBECOS told TNIE that there are 50 indirect staff working under the cooperative society.
“But once our service is expanded in the coming months, the staff strength will go up. We recently won the tender in the Smart City project in modernizing the Putharikandam grounds and Puthenchantha Park”, Ratheesh said.