Bihar Co-op Federation debates on “Development thru Co-ops”

Bihar State Co-operative Federation organized a high-voltage seminar on the theme of “Development through Cooperative” at its headquarters in Patna on Wednesday. State Cooperation Minister Rana Randhir Singh was the Chief Guest.

Speaking on the occasion Rana Randhir Singh said that the state govt is ready to lend all support to the co-operative movement. Singh felt that cooperative and cooperative alone can ameliorate the poverty in the state.

Vinay Sahi, Chairman of the state Co-op Federation and the one who represents an opposite pole along with Vishal Singh and others in the cooperative politics of the state, listed the demands of cooperative sector in the state before the Minister. “Ever since the amendment in 2010, cooperatives are not getting 2.5 percent levy of the dividends earned by them and it needs to be rectified sooner than later”, said Sahi.

Sahi also assured the minister that though the state co-op federation has become a multistate entity, the loyalty of the federation towards the state of Bihar has not dwindled. It bears recall that through a letter dated 3^rd October, 2018, the Central Registrar has allowed the federation to be multistate with operations in the two states-Bihar and Jharkhand.

The Seminar at Budh Marg office of State Co-op Federation in Patna was attended by who is who of the cooperative sector, excepting Biscomaun Chairman Sunil Kumar Singh who was away attending ICA A-P Regional Assembly in Iran.

Vishal Singh, Vijay Singh, N K Mandal and many others were present on the occasion.

Earlier, this year Vinay Sahi and his team romped home with thumping majority in the Bihar State Co-op Federation elections. “Some of the associated of Sunil Singh including Ram Kalevar Singh did make an unsuccessful attempt to enter the board but they were rejected”, claimed Sahi to Indian Cooperative.

Established in 1912 the Bihar State Cooperative Federation is the apex co-op body at the state level. Besides strengthening the cooperative movement, it also undertakes cooperative training. The Federation is passing through an acute shortage of manpower as the reduction in staff-members due to retirements is not being compensated by new appointments, lamented Sahi.