Enlist HP for cooperative reforms package: Dhumal

Shimla, Jan 16 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal urged the NABARD to extend cooperative reforms package (CRP) to support cooperative movement in the state.

The Chief Minister, in a meeting with NABARD Chief Manager Raghu Raman, said bank has released CRP to 18 states across country, but Himachal is yet to be taken in consideration to enlist and avail the benefits.

''Himachal is considerably a harbinger of cooperative movement in country, as first cooperative society was registered in Una district of the state and it deserves all external-funded project under Cooperative Reforms Package'', Mr. Dhumal claimed Chief Minister said NABARD funding had been of great use for the sustainable, equitable agriculture and rural prosperity through effective credit support with the institutional development and other innovative initiatives, he added.

''Himachal Pradesh is very efficiently utilising NABARD's Rural Infrastructure Development Fund. This had been enlarged to cover new irrigation projects together with sectoral expansion covering economic and social infrastructure and so far state is drawing benefits of all programmes,'' he asserted.

Over 43,000 women-oriented self-help groups out of which 35,000 are credited linked to banks, moreover efforts would be made to obtain maximum projects under the programme so that speedy development of the entire state was ensured, he said.

UNI XC AS JN NY VC1833