Tribune News Service
Mandi, November 17
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Saturday launched a Rs 90-crore integrated cooperative development project for the district.
Addressing a gathering during the state-level function at the milk plant, Chakkar, here to mark All-India Cooperative Week, Thakur said the project would go a long way in giving a boost to the cooperative sector.
He said cooperative societies were playing an important role in the social and economic growth of the rural areas of the state. However, there was need to take effective steps for the expansion and strengthening of this sector to provide employment and self-employment opportunities to the youth.
He said currently, 4,886 cooperative societies, having more than 17 lakh members and active capital of Rs 34,408 crore, were functional in the state.
The Chief Minister said these societies had been contributing in the distribution of manure and agricultural equipment by managing 3,165 depots in 3,226 panchayats of the state.