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Raipur, August 25, 2024: Union Minister for Cooperation and Home Amit Shah here today chaired a review meeting regarding expansion of cooperatives in the state of Chhattisgarh.
Shah also launched Primary Agriculture Credit Society (PACS) in the 33 districts to work as Water Committees in their respective districts, in the presence of Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai, Cooperative Minister Kedar Kashyap, Union Minister of State for Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol, Deputy CM Arun Sao and Secretary of Union Ministry of Cooperation Ashish Kumar Bhutani.
As part of ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, Shah also planted saplings under “Peepal for People” programme and inaugurated various development works of the Chhattisgarh government.
Addressing the Cooperative Review Meeting, Amit Shah said that a cooperative society is being formed in every panchayat of the country to realize the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of ‘Sahkar Se Samriddhi’.
Chhattisgarh government should come up with a new public dairy scheme with a focus on tribal development, he said adding that the scheme should envisage PACS to work like a multi-purpose unit also catering as dairy and fisheries cooperative institutions.
The National Cooperative Database should be used to find the dry area in Chhattisgarh which will help in the expansion of cooperatives, Union Cooperation Minister said adding that all 2058 PACS of Chhattisgarh have adopted the Model Bye-Laws.
He also stressed that with computerization, every PACS should be made a Common Service Center (CSC) so that the benefits of various activities done by PACS can reach the rural people.
Shah said that there should be a contract between NCCF, NAFED and the state for ethanol production so that farmers can be encouraged towards maize cultivation. The cost in maize cultivation is also low and all the maize of the farmers will be purchased by the central government at the Minimum Support Price.
Shah said that 100 per cent registration should be done by PACS on NAFED and NCCF portals for the sale of farmers’ agricultural produce.
It should be mandatory for every trader, PACS and cooperative society of every market to open an account in the District Cooperative Central Bank, Amit Shah said. Chhattisgarh has 4 cooperative sugar mills, out of which only one mill has an ethanol production plant. Shah said that multi-feed ethanol production plants should be set up in the remaining 3 cooperative sugar mills within 6 months so that ethanol can be produced from maize and sugarcane. He said, the central government will help in this regard. Shah said that there is a need to promote the cultivation of maize and pulses in Chhattisgarh and for this the state agriculture department should take initiative.
At present, there are a total of 6 District Cooperative Central Banks (DCCBs) in 33 districts of Chhattisgarh and keeping in mind the expansion of PACS in the state in the near future, at least 4 more DCCBs should be established, the Union Minister said.
The Animal Husbandry, Agriculture, Tribal Affairs and Cooperative departments of the state government should work together under the Whole of Government Approach for the economic development of rural and tribal people of Chhattisgarh, he said.
