U’khand first State to ensure 33 % participation of women in cooperatives: Rawat
PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
Cabinet minister Dhan Singh Rawat has said that Uttarakhand is the first State in the country which has ensured 33 per cent participation of women in the cooperative sector. He was addressing ‘Manthan’ , a conclave of the cooperative ministers of the country at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Monday. The programme was chaired by union Cooperatives minister Amit Shah.
He said that the income of farmers in the State has augmented under mission millet. “There was a time when the farmers were selling Ragi at Rs 10 per kg but now it is being purchased by the cooperative committees at Rs 42 per kg from the doorsteps of farmers. The cooperative department is disbursing interest free loans up to Rs 5 lakh to women self help groups due to which the women are becoming self-reliant,’’ he said.
The minister averred that a sum of Rs 6,500 crore has so far been disbursed to 12 lakh farmers in the State. He said that financial assistance is needed for multipurpose primary agricultural credit societies and other cooperative bodies in the State which are essential for development based in the value added chain in the mountainous areas of the State.
Terming Uttarakhand most suited for establishment of Tribhuwan cooperative university, Rawat said that the State government is ready to provide land for the university.
He also stressed on the need for connecting the ‘ vibrant village’ scheme with the cooperative outlook and developing a cooperative system of exchange of essential items and vegetables between Army and people of border areas.
Rawat said that the rural livelihood is being strengthened with the help of ‘ Ghasiyari Kalyan Yojana’ and others.
He said that the cooperative ministry should now give a 30 per cent subsidy to the State under NCDC which earlier was given by the agriculture ministry.
The registrar cooperative societies Meherban Singh Bisht and additional registrar Anand Shukla attended the meeting.
