By Our Staff Reporter
New Delhi, 18 Mar: Rajya Sabha MP and BJP State President Mahendra Bhatt raised crucial issues concerning forest fire management and the computerisation of cooperative societies during the ongoing parliamentary session.
In response to his Question No. 1644, directed at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhatt had sought details about provisions made by the Central Government to address forest fires in Uttarakhand.
Union Minister of State Kirtivardhan Singh explained that, under the Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme, operational since the financial year 2017-18, financial assistance has been provided to states and union territories, including Uttarakhand. He added that the scheme covers various measures, including the use of communication and information technology, creation and maintenance of fire lines, appointment of fire safety guards, construction of water storage structures, strengthening forest infrastructure, procuring fire-fighting equipment, implementing soil and moisture conservation efforts in high-risk areas, and raising awareness among stakeholders.
This apart, through Question No 1452, related to the topic of cooperative societies, Bhatt also questioned the progress of the computerisation of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS). In response, Cooperatives Minister Amit Shah informed him that the Government of India has approved a Rs 2,516 crores project to computerise PACS across the country. This initiative aims to bring all working PACS onto an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)-based common national software, integrated with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) through State Cooperative Banks and District Central Cooperative Banks.
Shah added that, under this project, 67,930 PACS from 30 states and union territories have been approved, with 50,455 onboarded onto the ERP system as of 27 January. In Uttarakhand, 185 PACS have been onboarded out of 670 identified for the programme. Structured training programmes organised by NABARD have so far trained 1,42,746 PACS personnel through 17 sessions to ensure seamless implementation.
Additionally, Bhatt had also raised issues related to the welfare of domestic workers with the Ministry of Labour and Employment through Question No 160.
