Cachar District Administration plans wider role for cooperative societies

way2barak, July 24— The Cachar district administration on Friday reviewed a series of measures to expand the role of Primary Agriculture Credit Societies (PACS), with emphasis on business diversification, better farmer outreach and improved coordination among government departments to strengthen the cooperative sector.

The issues came up for discussion during the meeting of the District Cooperative Development Committee (DCDC) held at the New Conference Hall of the District Commissioner’s Office. The meeting was chaired by District Commissioner Rahul Kumar Gupta,IAS in presence of District Development Commissioner, Rajib Roy ACS and Assistant Commissioner & IC DDIPR Barak valley Zone Silchar Assam, Arunabh Choudhury ACS, while Dr. Nasiruddin Ahmed, District Deputy Registrar of Cooperative Societies, presented the agenda.

Among those present were officials from NABARD, the Food Corporation of India (FCI), Agriculture, Animal Husbandry & Veterinary, Fisheries, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs and other line departments.

The meeting reviewed proposals to diversify the activities of Primary Agriculture Credit Societies by linking them with major government initiatives, including the World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samriddhi Kendras (PMKSK), Common Service Centres (CSCs), Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loans. Officials stated that expanding the business activities of PACS would improve their financial sustainability while making more services available to farmers at the grassroots.

A detailed discussion was also held on strengthening dairy cooperatives in the district. Farmers and shareholders of dairy cooperative societies were encouraged to supply milk directly to the cooperatives instead of selling it through middlemen. Officials said the arrangement would ensure assured procurement, help farmers receive the full benefit of the Rs 25 per litre dairy subsidy and further strengthen the cooperative network.

Chairing the meeting, District Commissioner Rahul Kumar Gupta expressed satisfaction over the initiatives taken by the Cooperative Department and asked all departments concerned to resolve pending inter-departmental issues without delay. He also urged cooperative societies to take up fertiliser distribution and other commercially viable activities so that they can generate additional revenue and become financially self-sustaining.

The meeting concluded with a call for closer coordination among departments and cooperative institutions to ensure that the benefits of various government schemes reach farmers effectively and that cooperative societies continue to play a larger role in the district’s rural economy.

This is stated in a press release issued by the Regional Office ffice of Information & Public Relations Barak valley Zone Silchar Assam.