State to strengthen coop sector for rural self-reliance: Agnihotri

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri emphasised strengthening the cooperative sector, calling it the backbone of the rural economy, during the first state-level cooperative conference, “Cooperatives create a better future for all.” The event was held at the State Agricultural Management and Extension Training Institute, Mashobra, under the joint aegis of the State Cooperative Societies and Himkofed.

Agnihotri highlighted the government’s commitment to making the cooperative department more efficient, akin to recent steps in making transport and HRTC self-reliant, including adding electric and diesel buses to the fleet. He assured that new strategies and laws would be introduced in the upcoming financial year’s budget to fortify the cooperative sector.

He acknowledged Himachal Pradesh as the birthplace of the cooperative movement in India, crediting Heera Singh from Una district for forming the country’s first cooperative society in 1892. Today, about Rs 4,500 crore is deposited in the cooperative sector, with one in five state residents associated with cooperative societies.

Agnihotri emphasised the need for cooperative societies to responsibly manage public funds and urged the inclusion of government and private bank representatives in such conferences, given the shared foundations with cooperative societies.

Expressing concern over the absence of federations like Him Fed, Wool Fed, and Milk Fed at the conference, Agnihotri outlined plans to fill 900 vacant posts in the cooperative department. He also announced a budget allocation for the computerisation of 1,789 cooperative societies to enhance operational quality, with 870 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) already digitised and another 919 identified for the next phase.

Around 300 representatives from 5,276 cooperative societies across the state attended the conference. Agnihotri reaffirmed that cooperative societies would play a pivotal role in making Himachal Pradesh self-reliant and ensuring a robust rural economy.