Bhubaneswar: Union Minister of State for Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol on Monday met Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at Lok Seva Bhawan to discuss the development of the cooperative sector in the state.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister highlighted the initiatives undertaken by the Odisha government to strengthen the cooperative movement and shared the progress achieved so far.
He also sought the Centre’s support on several key proposals, including extending the loan repayment period for Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) from five to ten years, operationalizing sugar mills in Baramba and Balangir, establishing a satellite campus of the National Tribhuvan Cooperative University in Gopalpur, setting up cold storage and warehouses in every district and subdivision, promoting Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), and providing financial assistance to newly formed PACS.
The Union Minister appreciated Odisha’s efforts in advancing the cooperative sector and assured that the Central Government would extend full support. He noted that several states had been chosen as pilots for cooperative development initiatives and suggested that Odisha study their operational models for effective implementation.
The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, Cooperation Secretary Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, Principal Secretary of Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Suresh Kumar Vashishth, Joint Secretaries to the Government of India Raman Kumar and Anand Jha, OMFED Managing Director Vijay Amrut Kulange, and other senior officials.
