Co-op's for raising limit of farm holding in loan waiver scheme

Jaipur, Apr 12 (UNI) National Conference on Cooperatives held here today stressed the need to raise limit of land holding from present five hectares in Rs 60,000 crore farmers' loan waiver scheme and evolution of effective joint strategy for getting rid of prevailing crisis in agriculture sector.

The one day conclave of Cooperative Ministers and/or elected heads of cooperative bodies from 15 states including, Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra,Jharkhand, Mizoram, Manipur and Kerala were in general agreement that the land holding ceiling in the loan waiver scheme must be raised, Rajasthan Cooperative Minister Nathu Singh Gurjat said.

Mr Gurjar said that the delegates in the conference, irrespective of their party affiliation, were of the view that the Centre should also announce an incentive for those farmers who did pay their loans timely.

He said the conference also expressed concern over the prevailing crisis in agriculture sector and steep rise in prices of essential commodities and undertlined the need for effective strategy and appropriate actions by all concerned, including the Centre.

Greater exchanges of views and programmes among states for strengthening of the cooperative movement, formulation of uniform laws, rules and procedures, exploring possibilities of cooperative private partnershipnew sectors like Insurance, Education, Health, Tourism and Information Technology were also identified in the meet, Mr Gurjar added.

Inaugurating the conference Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje suggested states should evolve a joint programme to address common issues and problems being faced in efforts to strengthen the cooperative movement.

She said that the cooperative bodies should ensure safeguarding interests of poor and weaker sections and these bodies, particularly, cooperative banks, should take a mission to liberate poor and helpless people from the clutches of private money lenders.

Punjab Cooperative Minister Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Punjab Chief Parliamentary Secretary(Coop) Jagdeep Singh Nakai, Gujarat Cooperative Minister Parbat Bhai Patel, Maharashtra Cooperative Minister Patangrao Kadam, Jharkhand Cooperative Minister Dulal Bhuiyan, Manipur Cooperative Minister Y Erabot Singh and Mizoram Cooperative Minister K Sanghuama participated in the conference.

UNI SS PBB BST1912