Chief Minister: Coops have maximum employment potential

Shimla, June 16

The state government would contemplate promoting Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) as multipurpose service centres in collaboration with NABARD to provide multifarious services to farmers under one roof. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said while presiding over a meeting of the Cooperation Department here today.

He said it was vital to make cooperative movement a people’s movement as the sector had maximum potential of employment and self-employment opportunities. The movement should be expanded up to the grassroots level.

At present, 4,843 cooperative societies were functioning in the state with a membership of 17.35 lakh. About 2,132 Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) were functioning, with a total 12.56 lakh members and deposits of Rs 5401.96 crore. These PACS include 1,914 fair price shops and 1,374 fertiliser depots, Thakur said.

The CM said two Integrated Co-operative Development Project (ICDP) were being implemented in Solan and Mandi districts, with the block cost of Rs 73.15 crore and Rs 89.58 crore, respectively. The project at Mandi was being implemented by HP State Cooperative Bank. Out of the first year outlay of Rs 33.64 crore, Rs 12.40 crore had been sanctioned by the Screening Committee to 164 cooperative societies for business development. The ICDP of Solan district was being implemented by Jogindra Central Cooperative Bank, Solan, and out of the first year budget of Rs 23.47 crore, Rs 14 crore had been utilised. He said 37 cases had been sanctioned to different cooperative societies. — TNS