Coop movement has perked up incomes in rural areas: CM Dharam Prakash Gupta Tribune News Service JoginderNagar, November 19 Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said the cooperative movement had been instrumental in supplementing income of women, youths and poor people in rural areas and cooperative societies had played a significant role in strengthening the rural economy. The Chief Minister said this while presiding over a state-level function on the 60th National Cooperative Day here today. He said it is a matter of pride that such a cooperative movement started from Himachal Pradesh, as a cooperative society was formed at Panjawar village in Una district in 1892. The Chief Minister said the state government had given importance to building a cooperative movement since the first five-year plan and today, 4,709 societies are registered in the state with a membership of 5.35 lakh and loans of Rs 4,104 crore to farmers, fruit growers and weaker sections have been given to enable them to improve their social and economic conditions. He said that to make cooperative societies economically viable, the state government had successfully completed the first phase of Integrated Cooperative Development Projects sponsored by the National Cooperative Development Corporation in all districts of the state. In the second phase, projects were being implemented in Hamirpur, Bilaspur and Sirmour districts by spending Rs 35.47 crore and approval for second phase of these schemes in Kangra, Kullu and Shimla districts had been sent to National Cooperative Development Corporation, he said. The Chief Minister stressed on bringing about rationalisation and competitiveness among the cooperative societies to compete in the open market. Talking about various steps taken by the state government to improve functioning of cooperative societies, the CM said efforts are being made to provide them autonomy besides providing training. The CM announced grant of Rs 2 crore for construction of auditorium of Government Degree College Joginder Nagar and said the government would consider opening a government college at Lad Bhadol. He distributed prizes to cooperative societies for their outstanding activities. Rural Development Minister Anil Sharma and newly elected Youth Congress president Vikramditya Singh also addressed the gathering. Forest Minister Thakur Singh Bharmauri and Urban Development Minister Sudhir Sharma were among others present on the occasion.
Posted on: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 04:28:50 +0000
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