
Another CPM venture is the Kerala State Rubber Cooperative Ltd (Rubco), which began with an investment of Rs 280 crore in 1997. Pinarayi’s aide E Narayanan is the chairman of Rubco, in which eight CPM-controlled district cooperative societies have a major stake. Tinancial mess at Rubco has left many banks nursing losses.
With E Narayanan as the chairman, a CPM society established a shopping mall in Thalassery.
Party-controlled cooperative societies run multi-specialty corporate hospitals in Thalassery, Kochi and Perinthalmanna. The CPM also runs a self-financing nursing college in Thalassery.