Efforts afoot to make cooperatives profit earning, employment generating sector: Secy Co-op

Jammu, Jan 08: Secretary Cooperatives and Tribal Affairs, Abdul Majeed Bhat, Tuesday said that the support of NABARD and other financial institutions is pivotal to give requisite fillip to the Cooperative sector in the State.

Secretary was speaking at a meeting with NABARD, J&K SCARD Bank, and State Cooperative Bank officials here today.

“The prime concern is to revive Cooperative Sector as profit earning, employment generating and economy booster in the State,” he added.

The meeting was attended by CGM NABARD Jammu, P Balachandran, Registrar Cooperative Societies, J&K, M M Rehman, MD/CEO J&K SCARD Bank, Mohammad Aslam Bhat, MD State Cooperative Bank, Mohammad Latief Dar besides senior officials of NABARD, Cooperatives Societies, Cooperative Bank and other concerned.

Secretary said that financial assistance for creating better marketing, Food Processing Parks, Warehouses, Cold Storages, cold chains and also for construction of Agri–Marts is needed to turn around the Cooperative sector.

The Secretary asked NABARD to provide financial assistance for the revival of defunct or non-functional PACs development cells that would provide a boost to the sector in Jammu and Kashmir.

He asked the officials to cover the farming sector activities like minor irrigation, farm mechanization, land development, soil conservation, Dairy, Sheep and Goat rearing, Plantation, Fishery, Poultry Biogas, and Apiculture Agro-processing under the Cooperative Sector.

The Secretary said that efforts are on to establish Training College for Cooperatives and IT labs to make the Cooperative Banks digitally stable and competent with other banks.