Panel set up to draft national cooperative policy document

In a statement, the Union Cooperative Ministry said the 47-member committee will be headed by former Union minister Suresh Prabhu.

“The Committee comprises experts of the cooperative sector; representatives of National / State / District & Primary Cooperative Societies; Secretaries (Cooperation) & Registrars of Cooperative Societies of States / UTs; and Officers from Central Ministries / Departments,” the ministry said in a statement.

“The existing National Policy on Cooperatives was formulated in 2002 with the objectives of facilitating all round development of cooperatives and providing necessary support, encouragement and assistance to them, so as to ensure that cooperatives work as autonomous, self-reliant and democratically managed institutions accountable to their members and make a significant contribution to the national economy.”

“Today, India has around 8.5 lakh co-operative societies with a member base of around 29 crore, spread across the length and breadth of the country. These co-operatives are engaged in varied activities like agro-processing, dairying, fisheries, housing, weaving, credit, marketing, to name a few,” the statement said.

“The new National Cooperation Policy document is being formulated with a view to fulfilling the mandate given to the new Ministry of Cooperation, which inter alia, includes realizing the vision of ‘Sahakar se Samriddhi’; strengthening cooperative movement in the country and deepening its reach up to the grassroots; promoting cooperative-based economic development model; creating an appropriate policy, legal and institutional framework to help cooperatives realise their potential,” it said.

“The new policy will go a long way in strengthening the co-operative movement in the country,” it added.

In a separate statement, the ministry said Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate a two-day National Conference of State Cooperation Ministers in New Delhi on 8 September.

The conference will provide a platform to formulate an “implementable policy/planning framework” through discussion and coordination among participants on important themes, it said.

Among the issues to be discussed during the conference are: National Cooperation Policy; National Cooperative Database; PACS in every Panchayat; Export of Agro-based and other products; Promotion and Marketing of Organic Products; Expansion of Co-operatives to New Areas; Subjects related to PACS and Model Bye-Laws; PACS Computerization; Action Plan for Revitalization of defunct PACS; Model Bye-Laws of PACS; Bringing Uniformity in State Cooperative Laws; Primary Co-operative Societies; Prioritize Long Term Financing; Milk Co-operative Societies and Fish Cooperative Societies.