Punjab is going out of its way to encourage the cooperative sector in the state. Chief minister Prakash Singh Badal has okayed an important proposal in this regard.

According to this proposal formulated recently by the cooperative department that would allow the cooperative organisations to sell their land and buildings and use the amount thus gained in buying equipment and other needed properties as well as in income generating activities.

The govt proposal makes it abundantly clear that the cooperative organisations would not be allowed to spend the amount made through sale of land and buildings on meeting their routine expenses, payment of salaries to its staff, for example.

However, this would not apply to the cooperative bodies that are about to fold.

Gundeep S Sodhi

We are an NGO named HOPE & HOPE registered in Punjab. In our search for making women empowered we came through cooperative societies and self help groups.

We have gathered that under cooperative department there are schemes geared at women empowerment. Thus we want to register a cooperative society in Punjab, kindly let us know the procedures.

I C Naik

Minimum 10 women of 18+ needs to sign an application to the Registrar of Cooperative Societies.

The Registrar must be satisfied –

(a) that the application complies with the provisions of the act and the rules,

(b) that the objects of the proposed society are in accordance with section 4.

(c) that the proposed bye-laws are not contrary to the provisions of this Act and the rules; and

(d) that the proposed society has reasonable chances of success, the Registrar may register the society, and its bye-laws.

Punjab has demanded about one thousand crore for rescheduling of cooperative credit from the central government in the wake of severe drought in the state.

It has asked the center to help it overcome the problem of drought- like conditions.  It has demanded a relief package of more than five thousand crore rupees.

The state needs nearly a thousand crore for rescheduling of cooperative credit, over two thousand crore for buying and supplying power and about a thousand crore for compensating farmers on high speed diesel.

Besides, Punjab needs funds for ground water irrigation, installation of tube-wells and supply of feed and fodder for livestock.

Sources are quoted as saying the center would have to give Punjab enough relief money as the people in the countryside are facing serious problems.

Janarthanan Narayanan

Respected Sir,

Please clarify whether there is any difference in Multi state credit Cooperative Society and Multi state Cooperative Credit Society. We want to have the Operational guide lines for Multi state cooperative credit Society. Please provide the same.

I C Naik

No difference what so ever. Multi State Cooperative Credit Society Limited is a correct way of naming a Credit Society having operations in more than one State.

Hemlata Khot

What if a person dies without completing the bank formalities? Is it necessary to parade all heirs before branch manager of the Cooperative Bank and sign forms even on the presentation of property rights by the elder son to transfer fund in his account.

I C Naik

Property and interest is passed on to registered nominee on member’s death.The Bank should not insist on production of proof of a legal owner.

Ownership rights as per law are to be acquired through Court if Nominee is suspected to be not a legal heir; Cooperative Bank is also governed by the Cooperative Societies Act of the State.

Ravi Sabharwal

I want to know that what is the sale of fertilizer (NPK) through cooperatives in Punjab.

I C Naik

You may resort to RTI to have this factual information. The Secretary Agriculture Ministry Punjab State may be the PIO for this purpose.

The court intervenes when government fails- seems to have become norm of Indian life. The sugarcane farmers finally got reprieve when the Punjab High Court ordered payment to them to the tune of Rs 100 cores by the mill owners who had received sugarcane from them earlier.

Eight sugar mills owed them this amount towards the last year payment. High Court was so stern that it called for sale of these mills if they fail to pay by August 9.

These mills are Gurdaspur Cooperative Sugar Mill, Batala Cooperative Sugar Mill, Bhogpur Cooperative Sugar Mill , Nakodar  Cooperative Sugar Mill , Fazilka Cooperative Sugar Mill , Budewal Cooperative Sugar Mill, Ajnala Cooperative Sugar Mill and Morinda Cooperative Sugar Mill.

The payment is to be made before Sugarcane commissioner. The secretary, cooperative department has been directed by the High Court to ensure payment of balanced amount to farmers.

Punjab Chief Minister has announced that Punjab would soon have the state of the art institute of dairy farming located in Mohali. The research facility would be established in collaboration with a leading dairy farm from Israel. Chief Minister P.S. Badal was recently addressing a seminar on advanced technology in dairy farming organised by Punjab dairy development board in Mohali.

Mr. Badal made another announcement on the occasion that the dept. of cooperation of the govt. of Punjab would hammer out a plan that would get farmers easy and hassle-free loans from the cooperative banks so they could meet their myriad farming needs.

Sources say the establishment of the research institute would once again put Punjab on the map as a leader in dairy science. Undeniably, the institute would enable the state to push back the frontiers of knowledge in the field.

The state-owned cooperative society Markfed in Punjab has resolved to supply fertilizers to farmers at the rate that existed in the past.

According to Markfed sources, there are more than lakh tonnes of DAP available with them and arrangements are being worked out to distribute fertilizers among the Punjab farmers.

Sources claim distribution of fertilizers at the rate being supplied through the state cooperative society is a bargain that costs farmers much less than normal.

Punjab watchers say the move is bound to impart a much needed fillip to agricultural development in the state.

Punjab   Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal has expressed his concern at the recent hike in the prices of DAP and NPK fertilizers. He has called upon the central govt to balance the effect of the price rise by adequately subsidizing the supply of fertilizers to farmers.

In Mr Badal’s view, as the international fertilizer market had stabilized in terms of price development, the central govt should share the increased burden through raising the subsidy level  instead of imposing further financial obligations on farmers.

Chief Minster has charged that the central government’s solitary preoccupation is to reduce its subsidy bill and is barely bothered about the welfare of farmers.

In a statement issued at Chandigarh, Punjab Chief Minister has slammed the central govt’s anti-farmer   attitude and termed its obsession with saving money at the cost of farmers a move that may queer the country’s economic pitch.

There would be no spike in the price of milk in Punjab.  Milkfed made an announcement to this effect.

Milkfed claims as it has enough stock of skimmed milk powder for conversion into milk it is confident of meeting the needs in the months down the line.

The procurement of milk has been a great success this season.  Sources say there would be no shortage of milk and milk products in the state.

There are several thousands of milk cooperative societies and milk farms in Punjab and Milkfed is the beneficiary of this vast network.

Readers would recall that milk prices were hiked by the dairy giant Amul followed by Mother Dairy and others in quick succession in the recent times.

Punjab Chief Minister has called for modernization of the cooperative banks in the state through the application of core banking solution and provision of ATM services so they could compete with the commercial banks.

Lamenting a serious shortage of manpower weighing down the department of cooperation in Punjab, Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal has ordered a large scale recruitment drive in the cooperative sector.

Informed sources claim a couple of thousands of people would soon be appointed at various levels in the cooperative dept. and in the cooperative organizations of the state.

A source close to the Punjab  govt. says  Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal is showing a big dollop of  interest in the cooperative sector as he deems it  basic to a rapid  economic growth in Punjab.