Belagavi The Karnataka Cooperation Department will establish training centres at eight locations to train unemployed BBA, B.Com and MBA graduates in auditing cooperative societies, Cooperation Minister Laxman Savadi said. Speaking to reporters at the Congress Bhavan in Belagavi, Savadi said the department’s audit wing is facing a shortage of staff, resulting in delays in completing mandatory annual audits of cooperative societies. Under the proposed system, graduates will receive six months of training and, after completing it, will be issued licences and authorised to conduct cooperative society audits. Savadi compared the proposed arrangement to the system under which private surveyors are licensed to conduct revenue surveys for prescribed fees. According to Savadi, the training will be funded through the education fund to which cooperative societies contribute two per cent of their profits. He said the cooperative union has a fund of around ₹80–90 crore, which could be used to provide free training to economically disadvantaged students. The minister also announced plans to digitise the daily transactions of cooperative societies and centralise their operations. A QR code displayed at each society’s office would allow members to access information about deposits, loans, working capital, non-performing assets and outstanding dues through their mobile phones. Savadi further said meritorious candidates would be given opportunities in recruitment to Urban Banks, District Central Cooperative Banks, Apex Banks, KMF and its affiliated organisations. He said instructions had already been issued to ensure merit-based recruitment. On Nandini milk prices, Savadi said milk unions had sought an increase of ₹8–10 per litre and that a decision was expected within four to five days after discussions involving Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. On sugarcane pricing, he called for consideration of farmers, consumers and sugar factories while fixing FRP and MSP, and suggested separate sugar pricing for household consumers and commercial users such as soft-drink manufacturers and sweet shops.