Making a major statement relating to the cooperative movement in the state Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said at least one member from each family should join PACs (Primary Agricultural Credit Societies) -the cooperative body at the grassroots level.
In a meeting attended by cooperative minister Alok Mehta, Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar and others, the Chief Minister called for strengthening PACS- the basic unit of the movement.
Readers would recall that it was Bihar and CM Nitish Kumar who had set up Election Authority –a first in the country way back in 2009. The Authority monitors the PACs elections- no less important than the Assembly elections.
Biscomaun and its paramount leader Sunil Kumar Singh however dismissed the meeting as a routine affair and said it was held with a view to streamlining the paddy-procurement exercise. “Farmers are forced to sell paddy at Rs 1200 while the PACs rate is Rs 1410 per quintal”, Singh added buttressing his argument.
Business Standard however reports that while assessing activities of PACs, the CM took stock of programmes run for farmers and women who have a sizable presence in cooperative bodies at the grassroots level.
In the election in 2014, out of 8,463 elected members of PACs in Bihar, 42 per cent were women as a result of reservation provided to them. In order to make PACs viable, the CM stressed the importance of timely elections to cooperative organizations as well as the importance of an inclusive drive for membership.
Chief Minister is also believed to have advanced the idea of a model PACS in every sub division.