Once burdened with liabilities, depts now strengthened: FM Cheema
Recognising the Cooperation Department as the backbone of economic development, Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema today said his ministry was providing full support to the department.
Cheema made these remarks while addressing the state-level function on the last day of the 71st All India Cooperation Week at Tagore Bhawan.
The minister launched a portal “Phulkari” prepared by the department to provide a world-class sales avenue for the products crafted by women artisans across the state. He also unveiled new products from Verka and a coffee table book of the department.
He revealed that Sugarfed, once burdened with liabilities exceeding Rs 400 crore when the AAP government took over in 2022, has been transformed into a thriving institution over the past two years.
“As a result of these efforts, the area under sugarcane cultivation has increased from 50,429 hectares in 2022-23 to 56,391 hectares in 2024-25. Efforts to bring this institution from loss to profit have also been made, with a 14 MW co-generation plant running on paddy straw at Bhogpur Cooperative Sugar Mill earning Rs 15.31 crore in 2023-24,” he added.
Cheema said Milkfed had set a record by purchasing 31 lakh litres of milk per day during the financial year 2023-2024. He also mentioned the commissioning of a 50 MTPD By-Pass Protein Plant at Verka Cattle Feed Plant, Ghania Ke Bangar, and a fermented milk processing and packaging unit with a capacity of 50,000 LPD at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana. On this occasion, he unveiled Verka’s new products including 1-litre plastic jars of cow ghee, sugar-free kheer, sugar-free milk cake and sugar-free pio protein.
He also commended the role of Markfed in promoting crop diversification through a price support scheme for moong to divert farmers from the paddy-wheat cycle. He said Markfed procured 7,584 metric tonnes of moong, benefiting 4,515 farmers. The quality of processed food and other food items prepared and marketed by Markfed had gained worldwide recognition, providing a robust platform for cooperative societies to sell their products, said Cheema.
Lauding cooperative banks for offering low-interest loans to farmers for agricultural and other needs, Cheema said these banks were being computerised to enhance their strength and efficiency. He said under a project, which was initiated during his tenure as the Cooperation Minister, 50 per cent of the banks had been computerised. He urged the officers to improve loan recoveries to ensure that low-interest loans could be provided to more and more farmers.
