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Raipur, March 25, 2025: Chhattisgarh’s Cooperative Minister Kedar Kashyap today discussed with Union Minister of State for Cooperation Muralidhar Mohol in Delhi about sugar sales monthly quota system of sugar factory, short-term agricultural loan and strengthening the cooperative movement in the state.
Minister Kashyap briefed the Union Minister of State Mohol about the work being done to strengthen cooperatives in Chhattisgarh. He informed that the state is moving fast in realizing the vision of “Sahkar se Samriddhi” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Kashyap informed that 2028 primary agriculture cooperative societies (PACS) have been selected for the modernization of cooperative societies in Chhattisgarh. Apart from this, a demand was made to provide early approval for the remaining 30 PACS and the proposed 500 new PACS.
He informed that the state government had set a target of disbursing short-term agricultural loan of Rs 8500 crore, out of which Rs 7709 crore has already been disbursed so far.
However, concessional refinance of only Rs 1150 crore has been provided by NABARD, which is only 14.9 per cent of the total loan. There was a demand to increase this ratio to 45 per cent, he said.
The minister urged the central government to allow more sales by relaxing the monthly quota system of sugar sales of the state so that the payment of sugarcane farmers can be made faster.
A request was also made to waive the delayed interest of Rs 84.79 lakh on the term loan taken by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Cooperative Sugar Factory, Pandaria.
There was also a request to include Chhattisgarh in the exposure visit for Chhattisgarh’s participation in the International Cooperative Year 2025.
Chhattisgarh government has taken several initiatives to accelerate economic development in rural and tribal areas through cooperatives, including a plan to provide 650 milch animals to 325 families in 6 districts under the Milk Cooperative Scheme for Tribal Families.
Under the NABARD’s RIDF scheme, 725 warehouses are being constructed in the state, out of which 665 have been completed. Jan Aushadhi Kendras are being operated in 28 PACS of the state, out of which 25 have been established recently. Common Service Centers have been established in 2029 PACS, out of which 1103 have been started recently.
Minister Kashyap said that the state government is encouraging organic farming and cooperative marketing of forest products. Organic certification of 22 minor forest produce has been obtained through Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Minor Forest Produce Federation.
Chhattisgarh has completed the registration of all PACS on the NCCF portal. By setting up micro ATMs in cooperative societies, transactions worth Rs 116 crore have been done during paddy procurement. In the last 6 months, KCC cards have been distributed to 2.50 lakh farmers. PM Kisan Samridhi Kendras have been set up in all the PACS of the state, from where transactions worth Rs 1760.34 crore have been done.
Kashyap urged Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol to fulfill the demands of Chhattisgarh. He said that through cooperatives, many schemes for agriculture, rural development and economic empowerment are being successfully implemented in the state. These schemes will be implemented more effectively if the expected cooperation is received from the central government, he added.
During this, Additional Chief Secretary Cooperative Subrat Sahu, Commissioner Cooperative and Registrar Cooperative Societies Kuldeep Sharma and representatives of the Ministry of Cooperatives of the Government of India were present.
