Sahakar Bharati is making hard efforts to revive the cooperative movement in North-Eastern states. In this context, the Sahakar Bharati delegation met the Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang-Golay at his official residence recently.
The delegation included the founder members Satish Marathe, National Organizing Secretary Sanjay Pachpor, National General Secretary Dr Uday Joshi, Patron Jyotindrabhai Mehta, Sahakar Bharati State President Mangal Jit Rai, NCDFI, MD K. C. Superka and some others.
The meeting was held in the evening and lasted one and a half hours. During the meeting Sahakar Bharati raised a host of issues pertaining to the cooperative sector and urged the Chief Minister to give his support. The discussion was mainly about amending the state cooperative act.
Talking to Indian cooperative, Sikkim state Sahakar Bharti chief Rai informed that a charter of demands has been put before the CM with regard to various reforms needed for the overall development of cooperative societies in the State.
“The issues raised during the meeting included, inclusion of Co-operative education course in school curriculum for which SICUN (Sikkim State Co-operative Union) has already prepared a course content. The cooperatives leaders of the state have been approaching our organisation for amendment in the State Cooperative Act and removal of annual registration clause so that administrative delay and complication is taken care of and youths are encouraged to come forward and explore the vistas of opportunity in Cooperative enterprise”, informed Rai.
Soon after the meeting with Sahakar Bharati leaders CM wrote on his twitter wall, “I was delighted to meet the founder member Sahakar Bharati/ Director (Central Board RBI) Shri Satish Marathe and National General Secretary (Sahakar Bharati) Dr Uday Joshi along with the team of Sahakar Bharati at my official residence”.
“I extended my gratitude and thanked them for visiting Sikkim and being a part of the two-day Adhivesan on Co-operative awareness held at the SICUN auditorium. We deliberated on several points for the augmentation of co-operative activities in Sikkim, including issues that need to be addressed at the earliest. I assured them of every possible support towards the advancement and expansion of the co-operative movement in Sikkim and further invited them to conduct such events in future”, he further wrote on his twitter wall.
A day prior to the meeting the State Governor Ganga Prasad and Chief Minister P.S. Golay attended the opening ceremony of a two-day ‘Sahakar Bharati Sikkim Rajya Adhiveshan’ at Sikkim State Cooperative Union, Assam Lingzey near Gangtok which was organized by Sahakar Bharati Sikkim Unit in collaboration with NCDFI, Anand, Gujarat and others.
Addressing the Adhiveshan, the Chief Minister mentioned that the State government has discussed the progress of farmers, cooperatives and rural development at a priority level. Golay urged the FPOs to work in coordination with the producers so that the beneficiaries receive equal and maximum benefits from various schemes being provided by the State government.
The inaugural programme was attended by Agriculture minister Lok Nath Sharma, MLA Em Prasad Sharma, MLA Sunita Gajmer, Chief Minister’s political secretary Jacob Khaling, Sikkim Milk Union managing director A.B. Karki, representatives from various cooperative societies and guests from Delhi and Gujarat.
There are over 4 thousand co-ops in Sikkim but 60 percent of them are non-functional.
