Coming down heavily on cooperative leaders of the country Union Cooperation Minister Sharad Pawar asked them to mend ways if they have to survive.

Comprising of over six lakh societies, cooperative sector suffers from “dependency syndrome” that has prevented it from functioning in a democratic and professional manner, he said.

Union Agriculture Minister was caustic on the country’s cooperative sector for sponging off the government and described this tendency as harmful to its interests.

Mr Pawar expressed this view when he was   addressing the national meet on cooperatives in the capital.

India’s cooperative sector is the largest in the world with members of 250 million in six lakh cooperatives working almost in every field of business, particularly in agriculture.

According to the minister, the dependency syndrome can be put down to a host of factors including   snags in the cooperative laws.

The abnormal tendency has prevented the cooperative sector from professionalizing and modernizing adequately.

Former President Abdul Kalam who also addressed the conference   exhorted the   cooperative leaders to work with honesty and integrity and suggested formulation of a policy framework that enables the cooperative organisations to work more effectively.

Some cooperative organisations including Amul in Gujarat   were the aim of his favourable remarks.

Jai Pur celebrated a cooperative fair wherein many cooperative products were kept on exhibition. The fair in which a business of worth Rs 1.25 crores were transacted came to an end on last Sunday.

The Minister of State for Youth Affairs Mangilal Garasia participated in the event and told that increasing role of cooperatives will drive away the middle man from the business of duping people.

Cooperative fairs are important to popularize cooperatives and its products. The concept needs to be publicized in a major way.

Madhya Pradesh Cooperative Minister Shri Gourishankar Bisen has said that people increasingly see cooperatives as the last resort. While inaugurating a function on the eve of Cooperative Week in Bhopal he said that there is a need for better coordination between cooperative institutes and cooperative department of the government.

Giving bonanza, he also announced  50 per cent dearness allowance with the basic pay of the employees of Cooperative Federation.State Cooperative Federation Chairman Shri Arun Singh Tomar, Madhya Pradesh State Cooperative Marketing Federation Chairman Shri Ramakant Bhargava, State Cooperative Housing Federation Chairman Shri Sushil Waswani, Madhya Pradesh State Agriculture And Rural Development Bank Chairman Shri Kishan Singh Bhatol and Commissioner Cooperative Shri Arun Pandey were present on the occasion.

Bisen claimed that the cooperatives have become beneficial to the farmers. Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has taken a historical decision to give agricultural loan to the farmers at 3 per cent interest rate. He said that this is an example for the whole country. Cooperative revolution in the state is better than any other state, he added

Bisen also patted himself and his BJP govt on back for checking the  misappropriation of  society funds. He said that strong action has been initiated against the land mafia who deprived society members of the cooperative housing societies of plots of land.

What is needed today is to give wide publicity for the good work being done in the cooperative sector, added the Minister The State Cooperative Federation can play important role in this direction, he said. The cooperative institutions should cooperative with the Federation to strengthen it financially for this purpose, concluded the Minister.