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The Government will soon bring a constitutional amendment to ensure the rights to election, autonomous management and independent professional audit, to the cooperatives. The amendment will incorporate in the constitution, the three keywords for the empowerment of cooperatives - voluntary, democratic and autonomous – along with these three rights so that no state law can abrogate them.
Announcing this after presenting excellence awards to 34 cooperative societies from different states here today, the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said that his government is committed to restoring full independence to cooperatives so that they work according to the spirit of the cooperative movement and serve as effective institutions for people’s participation in development and equitable distribution of income.
The Prime Minister also informed that a task force has been set up to recommend an action plan for reviving rural cooperative banking institutions. The task force would also recommend an appropriate regulatory framework, and measures for improving efficiency and viability of the cooperative banking sector.
Expressing his dismay at the poor state of health of cooperatives, Agriculture Minister Shri Sharad Pawar said that out of 310 cooperative sugar factories, 111 are facing problem of sickness, and out of 159 spinning mills, 77 have closed and another 55 are on verge of closure. He informed that a committee has been set up for revitalization of sugar industry to make it globally competitive and the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) would shortly launch a rehabilitation scheme for spinning cooperatives.
The Agriculture Minister emphasized the need for better credit flow to cooperatives, especially the small ones. A Credit Guarantee Fund with contributions from NCDC and the Government of India would be considered for funding small size cooperatives, he said. To make NCDC itself a strong institution for supporting cooperatives, Shri Pawar asked for a concessional credit line to NCDC. He also informed that the Government is considering converting NCDC into an equity based organization to help it raise resources.
Minister of State for Agriculture, Shri Kantilal Bhuria, informed of the special attention being paid by the Government to support cooperatives for the weaker sections of the society. Out of Rs.7900 crore granted to the cooperatives so far, 13 % has been given to such cooperative societies, he said.
In her welcome address, Agriculture Secretary, Smt. Radha Singh , informed of the initiatives taken in recent years for development of cooperatives. The amendment of the multi-state cooperative laws and adoption of model cooperative act by states has helped the financial and functional autonomy to the cooperatives, she said.
Thirty-four cooperative societies have won the NCDC Excellence Awards for 2004 which happens to be the cooperative centenary year. While half of them are agriculture credit, service or multi-purpose societies, others are consumer, dairy, marketing, handloom and cold storage societies, and those consisting of women, fishermen, tribals and ex-servicemen.
The list of awardees is as follows: Sri Ganapati handloom Weavers Coop. Production and Sales Society, Angara, East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh, Perka Panam Hinengo, Perka village, Carnicobar, Andamn&Nicobar Islands, The Lohit Co-op General Stores, Tezu, Arunachal Pradesh, Dura Bagari Somobai Somity, Kuthari, Nagaon, Assam, Ratanman Babhangama Dugdu Utpadak Sahyog Samity, Babhangama, Begusarai, Bihar, Seva Sahakari Samity Maryadit, Arjuni, Dongargaon, Rajnandgaon, Chattisgarh, The Chirag Consumer Co-op Stores, Malaviya Nagar, New Delhi, Mandovi Fishermen Marketing Co-op society, Malim Jetty-betim, Bardez, Goa, Amalsad Vibhag Vividh Karyakari Sahakari Khedut Mandli, Amalsad, Navsari, Gujrat, The Jyotisar Ganesh Co-op society, Jyotisar, Kurukshetra, Haryana, The Dadhol Gramseva Co-op society, Padyalog, Dadhol, Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, The Dostroct Ex-Servicemen Co-op Consumer Store, Udhampur, J&K, Angara Lamps, Angara, Ranchi, Jharkhand, The Bellad-Bagewadi Krishi Seva Sahakari Bank, Bellad-Bagewadi, Belgam, Karnataka, The Cherpalacherri Service Co-op, Cherpalacherri, Palakkad, Kerala, Sahakari Sheet Grih Sanstha Maryadit, Rao, Indore, Madhra Pradesh, Ganesh Sahakari Dudh Vyavasaik Sanstha Maryadit, Rajuri, Junnar, Pune, Maharashtra, The Ima Langnubi Cattle Farming Co-op Society, Thangmeiband Sinam Leikai, Imphal West, Manipur, Upper New Nongstoin women Embroidery Tailoring Knitting-Cum-Handloom & Weaving Industrial Co-op Society, West Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, Baktawng Consumer Co-op Society, Baktawng, Mizoram, Darlung Service Co-op Society, Aizawl, Mizoram, East Circular Road, Women Multi-purpose Co-op Society, Kohima, Nagaland, Girisola Madam Mohan Service Co-op Society, Ganjam, Orissa, Kudummulugumma Lamps, Kudumulugumma, Malkangiri, Orissa, Lawspet Weavers Co-op society, Lawspet, Pondicherry, The Rasulpur Co-op Agricultural Multi-Purpose Co-op Society, Ludhiana, Punjab, The Palsana Gram Sewa Sahakari Samiti, Sikar, Rajasthan, The Binaker Kolayat Kray Vikray Sahakari Samiti, Bikaner, Rajasthan, Veerakeralam Primay Agricultura Coop Bank, Periathottam, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Ranir Bazar PACS, West Tripura, Tripura, Bazpur Coop Mktg Society, Nainital, Uttaranchal, Kisan Seva Sahakari Samiti, Ghathera, Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, Sahebganj No.1 Anchalik Sombay Krishi Unyan Samity, Burdwan, West Bengal, Mudiali Fishermen’s Co-op Society, Santoshpur Road, Kolkata, West Bengal.
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