Mohanbhai Kundariya, Minister of State for Agriculture inaugurating the Cooperative Week celebrations in Delhi on Friday said that the Government will ensure that Gujarat model of cooperative development is replicated in other parts of the country. He elaborated that this model ensures cooperative autonomy, and the cooperatives in Gujarat work in strong partnership with the government for economic growth.
The cooperative week celebrations organised by National Cooperative Union of India from 14 – 20 November, 2014, started Friday. The cooperative week with the theme “Cooperative Model for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth” is being celebrated all over the country.
There was a climb-down in the show as earlier the Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh had consented to inaugurate the function. After his refusal NCUI could save its face by roping in the newly appointed Minister Mr Kundariya in the last minutes. Even Dr US Awasthi, high-profile MD of IFFCO whose name- plate was on display on the dais, could not make it to the function.
The Minister in his speech underlined the importance of involving women and youth in the cooperative movement so the movement could further strengthen. The role of the state govt had been crucial in the Gujarat cooperative model that had won laurels all round, he remarked.
Addressing the function NCUI president Dr. Chandra Pal Singh said if the govt schemes were implemented through cooperative bodies the poor would greatly benefit from these initiatives.
Hitting at Direct Tax Code Chandra Pal said that it would weaken cooperatives. Farmers are provided with farm loans at 0 percent interest rate through cooperative banks yet the govt. of India does not mention a line about cooperatives in its annual budget, he lamented.
Nearly 250 million peoples are connected with the cooperative movement but the number could leap to 500 million people if the govt were willing to help, noted Dr. Singh. He further lamented that Constitutional Amendment Bill has not been implemented in a uniform manner, which is affecting democratic growth of cooperatives.
The function was attended by a galaxy of cooperative stars including Nafed chairman Bijendra Singh , Biscomaun chief Sunil Singh , President of Kribhco V.R. Patil, Fishcopfed Chairman Prakash Lonare, Ashok Dabas, B.P.Singh and NCUI chief executive Dinesh Mishra.
The august audience included Kribhco MD N.Sambasiva Rao, Fishcopfed MD B K Mishra, Nafcub Chief Executive Subhash Gupta and others.
The cooperative week is observed every year from 14 to 20 Nov. The theme of the week celebrations this year is “cooperative model for a sustained and inclusive development.”
Speaking on the occasion, Nafed chairman Bijendra Singh lamented the fact that if there was one single mistake done by a cooperative or a couple of cooperatives the entire cooperative movement would be tarred with the same brush, he said. He also delivered vote of thanks.
Earlier Dr. Dinesh, Chief Executive, NCUI elaborated on the significance of Cooperative Week Celebrations. The Special Issue of “The Cooperator”, a publication of NCUI was released on the occasion.
