PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
The minister of Cooperation Dhan Singh Rawat has said that the State government is working on a plan to provide direct benefit of the cooperatives to the farmers, artisans and young entrepreneurs.
He said that the objective of the State government is to take the cooperative movement to new heights by strengthening the cooperative committees. The minister said that a total of 53,000 quintals of finger millet (Mandwa) has so far been purchased through 214 purchase centres under Millet Mission in the State. The cooperative committees have earned Rs 53 lakh (Rs 100 per quintal) from the purchase of finger millet.
Rawat said that under the Mukhyamantri Ghasyari Kalyan Yojana, distribution of silage is being done through the cooperative committees in the State. A total of 20,00 high quality silage has been distributed through 181 centres ( 96 in Garhwal and 85 in Kumaon) and the cooperative committees have earned a sum of Rs 63 lakh from the sale of silage.
The minister further informed that five cooperative committees in Tehri and Uttarkashi are directly procuring vegetables from farmers. Vegetables worth Rs 1.5 crore have so far been purchased in these two districts and the cooperative commuters have earned Rs three lakh from the sale of the vegetables.
Rawat said that under the Madho Singh Bhandari Cooperative Farming scheme, cultivation of flowers is being promoted in the barren land. In Chamoli and Pauru district cultivation of rose and gladiolus is being done on about 500 Nalis of land.
The cooperative committees of the State have also earned a sum of Rs 63 lakhs under the Paddy Purchase Programme.
The managing director of the Uttarakhand Cooperative Federation Anand Shukla said that the efforts are being made to link farmers, weavers and the silk growers with the market. He added that the income of farmers and cooperative committees is increasing through millets, vegetables, biofertilizers, silk production and cooperative farming.
