Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS) wins National Highways Excellence Award

Honoured by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, ULCCS is recognised for delivering national highway infrastructure with exemplary quality, speed, and social responsibility.

Bengaluru, April 16, 2025: Marking a notable milestone in its rich heritage, Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS) has been awarded the coveted ‘National Highways Excellence Award 2023’ by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for its outstanding performance as a cooperative contract organization. The award was given by Shri Nitin Gadkari (Union Minister, MoRTH), in a function at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, attended by Shri Harsh Malhotra (MoS, MoRTH & Corporate Affairs), Dr. V.K. Saraswat (Member, NITI Aayog), Shri V. Umashankar (Secretary, MoRTH), Shri Santosh Kumar Yadav (Chairman, NHAI) and other dignitaries.

ULCCS were represented by Chief Project Manager T.K. Kishor Kumar and Manager M.V. Sumesh, who accepted the honour on behalf of the Society on the national forum, reaffirming the resilience of cooperative enterprise in India’s infrastructure revolution.

Speaking on the recognition, ULCCS Chairman, Rameshan Paleri, stated, “This recognition is not just an award for ULCCS—it is a celebration of the cooperative spirit that has guided us for over a century. Winning the National Highways Excellence Award reinforces our belief that infrastructure development can be both people-centric and performance-driven. The Thalappadi–Chengala project is a testament to what dedicated teamwork, rooted in community values and professional excellence, can achieve. We are honoured to represent Kerala and the cooperative movement on this national platform, and we remain committed to building infrastructure that not only connects places but also uplifts lives.”

The award acknowledges the 100-year journey of ULCCS, one of India’s longest-serving and most successful worker cooperatives and applauds its strong dedication to quality, transparency, social responsibility, and on-time delivery. ULCCS’ performance in the development of six-laning of national highways in over 20 reaches in the state has enabled it to be recognized by the Central Government, surpassing leading construction companies in the country.

Among its notable achievements, ULCCS is leading the construction of the 39-km Thalappadi–Chengala section under the Government of India’s flagship Bharatmala Pariyojana. ULCCS is the first to reach near completion of any segment of the project in Kerala, with 90% of the work already finished—well ahead of other sections being handled by major corporates. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has commended ULCCS not only for its superior construction quality but also for its meticulous planning that ensures minimal disruption to local communities and traffic flow. The recognition is based on the Society’s dedication and exceptional expertise in timeliness, quality, professionalism and project management. Earlier in April 2024, ULCCS was also awarded the ‘Best Performer Award’ by NHAI , given by Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav, further confirming its consistent performance at the national level.

ULCCS emerged successful in the Thalappadi–Chengala project tender, with a proposal that balanced technical strength and cost-effectiveness, setting it apart in a highly competitive global bidding process. As India hastens its infrastructure drive, ULCCS’s national-level recognition is a powerful testament to the ability of worker-led, community-controlled organisations to reinterpret scale, quality, and accountability in the nation’s development story.