Bhubaneswar: Cooperative in Odisha has taken the shape of a powerful movement and a large number of farmers, weavers and small businessmen have been involved in it, said Sj. Ashok Chandra Panda, Minister, Science and Technology, Public Enterprises, Social Security and Empowerment of Disabled. Sri Panda was addressing the State level celebration of 70th All India Cooperative Week organised by Department of Cooperation, GoO and Odisha State Cooperative Union jointly.
Sri Panda said that under 5-T initiative more than 2000 PACs/LAMPCs have been computerised in order to bring transparency and unnecessary interventions and Odisha has become a model in this field with country-wide appreciation. He said that Cooperatives have been instrumental for socio-economic upliftment of people in the State while people irrespective of caste, creed, religion are united for hand in hand support and financial benefits.
Sj. Atanu Sabyasachi Naik, Minister, Food Supply and Camp Welfare, Cooperative Higher Education said that 90 percent of the total grain collected in the state is being procured through cooperatives and within 48 hours, the procurement price is being sent to the bank accounts of the farmers. He also laid emphasis on how more and more facilities can be provided to the farmers. He said that PACs/LAMPCs having own land are being provided Rs. 25 Lakh each for their infrastructural development.
T. Prasad Rao Dora, President, Odisha State Co-operative Bank and Prabasini Sarangi, President, Odisha State Co-operative Union, Dr. Arvind Kumar Padhi, Principal Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment, Handicrafts, Textiles and Handicrafts Department, Arvind Agrawal, Secretary, Cooperation and others spoke on the occasion. Various Co-opertive Banks and Societies in different categories were given prizes for excellence in activities.
An awareness cyclothon starting from Sisubhawan square reach State Cooperative Bank in the morning that was flagged off by Secretary of the Department. Different Cooperative organisations such as OMFED, Utkalika, Sambalpuri Bastralaya, AMLAN, Chilika Fresh etc. opened their stalls as part of the exhibition organised on the eve of celebration.
