Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 6 Jul: Eight new cooperative federations will be established in Uttarakhand to expand the cooperative movement across the state. Necessary directions have already been issued to departmental officials. In addition to district-level cooperative fairs, such fairs will now also be organised at the Assembly constituency level to provide farmers, cultivators, artisans, and women’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs) with better market access for their products and strengthen the rural economy.
Marking the completion of five years of the Union Ministry of Cooperation, the Department of Cooperation organised the ‘Sahkar Manthan’ programme in Dehradun today. The event was chaired by Uttarakhand’s Minister for Cooperation, Dr Dhan Singh Rawat, and attended by chairpersons of multipurpose cooperative societies, members of the cooperative fraternity, and representatives of cooperative institutions from across the state. The programme featured detailed discussions on the achievements, challenges, and future roadmap of the cooperative sector over the past five years.
Addressing the gathering, Dr Rawat said that the cooperative sector in Uttarakhand has made remarkable progress. He noted that additional efforts are being made to connect more people with the cooperative movement, and as part of this initiative, eight new cooperative federations will soon be established in the state. These include the Lakhpati Didi Federation, Women’s Self-Help Group Federation, Van Panchayat Federation, Health Federation, Plumbers and Water Workers’ Federation, Bharat Taxi Federation, Aviation Federation, and Youth Federation.
Dr Rawat said that the Women’s Self-Help Group Federation has been proposed to further organise and empower over 21,000 women’s SHGs across the state. Through the Lakhpati Didi Federation, women will be connected with various government schemes to enhance their economic empowerment. The Van Panchayat Federation will promote forest-based livelihoods, nursery development, and strengthen the participation of rural farmers. The Plumbers Federation will organise skilled workers and create new employment opportunities, while the Bharat Taxi Federation will connect nearly 47,000 taxi operators in the state to modern online platforms. The Youth Federation aims to link one lakh young people with self-employment and entrepreneurship within a year.
Dr Rawat further announced that, following the success of district-level cooperative fairs, similar fairs will now be organised in every Assembly constituency. Necessary instructions have already been issued to departmental officials.
On the occasion, Ghansali MLA Shakti Lal Shah appreciated the remarkable progress and innovations achieved in the state’s cooperative sector and congratulated the Cooperation Minister. He said that cooperative fairs have significantly contributed to strengthening the rural economy.
Former Chairman of the Uttarakhand State Cooperative Union Matwar Singh Rawat and former Chairman of the Tehri District Cooperative Bank Subhash Ramola also shared their views on the completion of five years of the Union Ministry of Cooperation and the significant achievements made in the state’s cooperative sector.
Registrar of Cooperatives Dr Meharban Singh Bisht briefed the gathering about various departmental schemes and innovations being implemented in the cooperative sector. He said that cooperatives would be further strengthened through transparency, technological innovation, and public participation.
Representatives from various districts, including cooperative members from Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar, and Haridwar, presented valuable suggestions during the programme. Dr Rawat assured participants that all suggestions would be seriously considered and incorporated into the department’s future action plan.
The programme was conducted by MP Tripathi, Nodal Officer for Cooperative Week and Managing Director of the Regional Cooperative Union, while Joint Registrar Ramindri Mandrawal proposed the vote of thanks.
Deputy Registrars of Cooperatives, Assistant Registrars from all districts, representatives and secretaries of cooperative societies, cooperative members, and departmental officials attended the programme in large numbers.
13 Outstanding Cooperative Societies Felicitated
During the programme, Dr Dhan Singh Rawat
presented certificates of appreciation to 13 outstanding cooperative societies from across Uttarakhand. The honoured societies included
MPACS Bageshwar; Panuwanaula (Almora);
Gadoliya (Tehri); Kumaud (Pithoragarh)
Champawat; Kunwarpur (Nainital); Gopeshwar (Chamoli); Paniyala (Haridwar); Sukhro (Pauri); Vikasnagar (Dehradun); Naugaon (Uttarkashi); Jaspur (Udham Singh Nagar); Agastyamuni (Rudraprayag).
In addition, the Chamoli District Cooperative Bank and Pauri District Cooperative Bank, selected by NABARD for outstanding performance, were also honoured with certificates of appreciation.
The Dudharakhal Multipurpose Cooperative Society (Pauri Garhwal) and Siddh Baba Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO), Pauri, were also felicitated for their exemplary work.
The programme also witnessed the inauguration and foundation laying of various office buildings constructed by the Uttarakhand Housing and Construction Cooperative Union Limited, Kashipur, in the districts of Udham Singh Nagar, Almora, Pithoragarh, and Dehradun, at a total cost of approximately Rs 10.24 crore.
On the occasion, the Minister presented interest-free loans of Rs 5 lakh each to the women’s Self-Help Groups Ujjwal, Hoshiyari, and Mata Vaishnavi. Additionally, micro-ATMs were distributed to the Gujarna Multipurpose Cooperative Society and Sarona Cooperative Society.
