Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi today directed the officials of cooperative societies to work diligently to ensure that farmers’ paddy is sold to the government in a clean, simple and transparent manner without any hassle and they get their dues within 48 hours, failing which strict action will be taken.
Inaugurating the 71st All India Cooperative Week, which is being celebrated from November 14 to 20, at the Samabaya Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, Majhi addressed the members of various cooperative societies that more than 2600 primary cooperative societies in Odisha are working like a bridge between the government and the farmers.
Crop loans, crop insurance, fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, etc. reach the farmers through them. Therefore, there is a need to strengthen all these institutions. All these institutions are the hope and expectation of the poor and the marginalized living at the bottom of society. Today, about 50 lakh and more farmer families in Odisha are directly and indirectly associated with the cooperative movement, he said.
Farmers, artisans, handicraftsmen, weavers, fishermen, milk producers, etc., all the citizens associated with the primary economy are involved in this cooperative movement, he added.
The Chief Minister said that Utkal Gaurav Madhusudan Das first laid the foundation of cooperatives in our Odisha by making the role of cooperative institutions widespread. In 1898, a cooperative store was established in Cuttack and later in 1904, the first law was enacted to establish cooperative institutions. The formation of cooperative institutions was formally started in Banki, Cuttack district.
Majhi further said also said that the paddy procurement program will start in a week. Its entire responsibility lies with the Cooperative Department. This year, the Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and Large-sized Adivasi Multipurpose Co-operative Societies (LAMPCS) under the department will operate more than 4000 paddy procurement centers in the State.
In Odisha, more than 60 percent of the total crop loans are disbursed through cooperative banks. There have been allegations that primary cooperative societies are making farmers’ loans Ever Greening. To stop this, the accounts and ledgers of the societies have to be up-to-date. Majhi suggested that the registrars should pay attention to this and computerize all the processes.
