In order to push co-operative centre-stage in the govt scheme of things the Sahakar Bharati team led by its patron Satish Marathe met NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar on Monday and held a wide-ranging discussion on the future of co-operatives in the country.
Besides Marathe, Sahakar Bharati delegation comprised of Dr Uday Joshi, National General Secretary and LN Gupta, National Treasurer. Prof Ashwani Mahajan of Swadeshi Jagaran Manch was also in the delegation calling on Dr Rajiv Kumar at his office in Niti Aayog Bhavan.
Talking to Indian Cooperative Satish Marathe said that the Delegation held wide ranging discussion on the current scenario in the co-operative sector in India. We also touched upon co-operative scenario globally, added Marathe who was recently appointed to the RBI Board.
Soon after the meeting, posting the photograph with the visiting delegation, NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar tweeter handle @rajivkumar1 tweeted “Met with Sahakar Bharati team led by Shri Satish Marathe, Patron of the organisation. We discussed the way forward for reviving and rejuvenating the cooperative sector in India.”
The Sahakar Bharati team tried to impress on the Vice-Chairman the need to recognize co-operative not as a business but as a distinctive form of Economic Enterprise. Policy makers have to realize that cooperative is a distinct form of ownership and cooperative institutions are not for profit. On average a co-op does not give more than 10-15% dividend, the rest it spends on social assets, he told in the meeting.
It is in this background that there is a need to involve Cooperatives in Development Initiatives & Financial Inclusion, Marthe argued.
The delegation also tried to convince Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman of the need to amend archaic co-operative laws still extant in states. The laws must be attuned with changing times so that a truly co-operative era could be
ushered in, the delegation underlined.
It bears recall that recently the NCUI team led by its President Chandra Pal Singh Yadav had also met the Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman. The meeting of cooperators led by NCUI President mooted the idea of setting up a Consultants’ committee with IIM professors as members to find out why the sector has failed to generate the impact it should have, given its ubiquitous presence in all walks of life.
The Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman also suggested a fresh bid should be made to restore the co-op sector in the govt scheme of things after the findings of the Consultant Committee are made available. The cooperators lauded the positive attitude displayed by Mr Kumar and agreed to almost all the points made by him.
