Bhubaneswar: A new chapter is set to be added to the history of Odisha’s cooperative sector. On Tuesday, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi will launch the mega cooperative membership campaign ‘Sambandha’ to expand the state’s cooperative footprint. Alongside the campaign, a new mobile application will be introduced to make digital membership registration seamless and transparent.
The Cooperation Department aims to enroll at least one person from every rural household through this drive, facilitating access to cooperative services at the doorstep and improving rural livelihoods. Multiple cooperative projects will also be launched and foundation stones laid on the occasion.
For the first time in Odisha’s history, Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and Large-sized Adivasi Multi-Purpose Cooperative Societies (LAMPS) will distribute dividends to their farmer members.
In the initial phase, over 3 lakh beneficiaries across 180 PACS and LAMPCS will receive a total dividend of Rs 14 crore. Additionally, the State Government, as a shareholder, will receive Rs 4.22 crore, which will be reinvested into the development of the cooperative sector.
To bolster the rural economy and support dairy farmers, 21 new milk collection centres will be virtually inaugurated across PACS and LAMPS, adding to the 76 centres already operational. To ensure small and marginal farmers have access to affordable, rented modern agricultural equipment, PACS and LAMPCS are being developed as Agro-Service Centres, with 50 such centres scheduled for launch.
Furthermore, 46 consumer centres will be inaugurated to supply essential goods at affordable rates to rural consumers, alongside 200 Common Service Centres (CSCs) to deliver various government and non-government services. To improve transparency and operational capacity, 200 PACS will be integrated into the National Level PACS Software (NLPS) on Tuesday, with the rest to be onboarded by the end of the financial year.
Under the state’s initiative to build 100 model mandis with modern infrastructure across all districts, foundation stones will be virtually laid for the first 4 mandis out of 38 approved by the Cabinet – two in Cuttack, one in Khordha and one in Puri. DPRs and site identification for the remaining mandis have already been finalized.
Additionally, under the Union Government’s “World’s Largest Grain Storage Scheme,” foundation stones will be laid for 3 out of 19 warehouses slated for the first phase. Twelve were previously initiated by Union Minister Amit Shah during his March visit.
The Chief Minister will also distribute appointment letters to 30 candidates selected for the Odisha State Warehousing Corporation (OSWC). These initiatives aim to empower farmers socio-economically, strengthen the rural cooperative infrastructure, accelerate the cooperative movement in Odisha and establish its distinct identity at the national level.
