Garhwal Post Bureau
Chandigarh/Dehradun, 5 Aug: Uttarakhand’s Minister for Cooperation, Dr Dhan Singh Rawat, visited the headquarters of the Haryana State Cooperative Apex Bank Limited in Chandigarh today during an official visit. He held discussions with bank officials to understand the bank’s functioning, digital services, and various initiatives aimed at the economic empowerment of farmers, women, and youth.
Addressing the media, Dr Rawat said that Haryana has made remarkable progress in the cooperative sector, particularly in cooperative banking. He noted that the state’s innovations, transparent governance, and public welfare-oriented schemes serve as a model for other states. He emphasised that Uttarakhand and Haryana would collaborate by sharing experiences and best practices to strengthen the cooperative movement in both states.
During the visit, Dr Rawat also highlighted the Uttarakhand Government’s Deendayal Upadhyay Short-Term and Medium-Term Loan Distribution Scheme, under which farmers are provided interest-free loans. He said the scheme has significantly benefited farmers by strengthening their financial condition and has produced encouraging results in the cooperative-based agricultural sector.
Dr Rawat congratulated Bharat Bhushan Juyal on his appointment as Chairman of the Haryana State Cooperative Apex Bank and expressed confidence that the bank would achieve new milestones under his leadership.
Welcoming Dr Rawat, Chairman Bharat Bhushan Juyal said that Uttarakhand has achieved several milestones in the cooperative sector under Dr Rawat’s leadership. He praised the state’s initiatives in promoting innovation, transparency, and farmer-centric schemes, which have helped expand the reach of the cooperative movement among the public. He also appreciated Uttarakhand’s zero-interest loan scheme, modernization of cooperative institutions, and digital initiatives, noting that these efforts are being widely discussed not only in Haryana but also in other states.
Bank officials made a PowerPoint presentation highlighting the bank’s achievements, financial inclusion initiatives, digital banking services, farmer welfare schemes, and the Haryana Government’s efforts to make cooperative banking more efficient and effective.
Among those present were Dr Prafulla Ranjan, Managing Director of the Haryana State Cooperative Apex Bank; Urvashi Gupta, General Manager; Sudha Sharma, Deputy General Manager; Jaspal Panwar, Manager; and other senior bank officials.
