Ministry of Cooperation has issued a press release on its measures of strengthening the Cooperative Movement. This release was issued on 15th February, 2023.
The Ministry of Cooperation has formulated a plan to establish viable Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) in each uncovered Panchayat, viable dairy cooperatives in each uncovered Panchayat/village and viable fishery cooperatives in each coastal Panchayat/village as well as Panchayat/village having large water bodies.
It will also strengthen the existing PACS/dairy/fishery cooperatives through convergence of various schemes of Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying.
Initially, 2 lakh PACS/ Dairy/ Fishery cooperatives would be established in next five years. The action plan for implementation of the project shall be prepared by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and National Fishery Development Board (NFDB).
The following schemes have been identified for convergence under the current plan:
- Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying:
- National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD), and
- Dairy Processing & Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF)
- Department of Fisheries:
- Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), and
- Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development (FIDF)
A national cooperative database is also being prepared by Ministry of Cooperation where country-wide mapping of cooperatives at Panchayat and village level is being carried out with the support of Registrar of Cooperative Societies of States/ Union Territories.
