Addressing a seminar organized by Sahakar Bharti in Lucknow, UP cooperative minister Mukut Bihari Verma said despite ups and downs in UP’s economy, the cooperative sector is still playing an important role in strengthening the state’s economy. The entire sector should remain cooperative and not be converted into the government sector”, said the minister.
He was speaking as the chief guest at the function. Several speakers on the occasion discussed various constituents of the cooperative movement including PACCs in the state.
In his remarks Verma added a caution and said cooperatives would prevail only if they did good work for the public.
In his keynote address, RBI Director Satish Marathe said, “The cooperatives that are not working well should be shut down. Marathe emphasized that there is a need to form cooperatives on new norms. He talked of new age co-ops which along with traditional agri cooperatives can ensure faster growth of the economy.
“Today agricultural income is 35 percent and the remaining 65 percent of the income depends on the non-
agricultural sector, we need to enhance the contribution of the former in the county’s GDP” Marathe said.
While congratulating some of the PACCs for doing a wonderful job Marathe lamented that their numbers are few. “Only 5000 PACCs in India are doing a good job out of 95,000″, underlined Marathe who is also on the Central Board of RBI.
Speaking on the occasion as the guest of honor, IFFCO MD Dr U S Awasthi said, there is an urgent need for PACCs to adopt the latest technology in their working style. It will not only make their work easier but also increase their business. The Government should help the existing PACCs instead of making FPOs. In India PACCs have a strong network in rural areas”, the IFFCO MD noted.
Awasthi further said, “PACCs are the main pillars of the cooperative movement. There are around 7000 PACCs in UP out of which 5500 PACCs are members of IFFCO and the fertilizer cooperative is giving them 20 percent dividend.
In his remarks, Virendra Kumar Tiwari, President of the State Construction and Labor Development Cooperative Union Limited said, “60 percent of the country’s population is dependent on the cooperative sector and people are expecting the sector to help them in fulfilling their aspirations and dreams”.
Sahakar Bharati National President, Ramesh Vaidya said, “For the benefit of the cooperative sector Sahakar Bharati will make all efforts to make necessary amendments in the rules”.
The seminar was presided over by UP State Cooperative Bank Chairman and former MP Tejveer Singh. It was conducted by Sahakar Bharati’s UP Chapter State General Secretary, Praveen Singh.
Sahakar Bharati National General Secretary Uday Joshi, Bharat Tripathi, President of UP Jute Cooperative Union, Sahakar Bharati, UP Sangathan Pramukh Rajdutt Pandey Chairman and CEOs of several district Cooperative banks of UP and many others were present on the occasion.
