Shah was chairing the first meeting of the parliamentary consultative committee on the “initiatives taken and currently being taken to strengthen cooperative societies“.
The minister said the work to develop the national cooperatives database is almost complete and that now information about cooperative societies across the country, categorised by region, is available online. Steps have been taken for the computerisation of PACS and in the coming times, there will not be a single panchayatwhere PACS will not be available, he said.
The model by-laws created by the cooperation ministry to make PACS viable have been adopted by almost all states in the country, Shah said, adding that PACS have been linked to more than 20 activities and have now started providing services such as common service centres and Jan Aushadhi Kendras.
The establishment of Tribhuvan Sahkari University will provide technical education, accounting, administrative knowledge and training to professionals entering the cooperative sector, he said.
At the national-level, National Cooperative Exports Limited, National Cooperative Organics Limited and Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Limited have been established, which will help promote exports, organic products and advanced seeds in the cooperative sector, the minister saidHe added that the cooperation ministry, in collaboration with the finance ministry, Reserve Bank and Income Tax Department, has taken steps to make one tax structure for the corporate and cooperative sectors.Shah told the committee that a roadmap has been made for the rapid development of national federations associated with cooperation, in collaboration with Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited, Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited, National Dairy Development Board and other federations. He said that currently PACS are involved in booking railway tickets and that in view of regional disparity in the development of cooperatives in the country, the government is taking special steps to ensure uniform balanced development in all the states.
