Centre open to states' suggestions for cooperation policy: Suresh Prabhu

(Eds: With pic, additional inputs) Patna, Nov 25 (PTI) National Cooperation Policy Committee Chairman Suresh Prabhu on Saturday said the Centre is open to consider suggestions from states for inclusion in the proposed policy.

Addressing a workshop for the East and North-East zones, Prabhu said the New Cooperation Policy 2023 is being finalised.

“The central government is open to incorporate valuable suggestions from all stakeholders (states) in the New Cooperation Policy 2023, which is being finalised. The objective of the Centre is to bring structural reforms and governance, make cooperatives vibrant economic entities and provide a level playing field for them (cooperatives),' he said.

Besides, the inclusion of priority sections, use of technology, upskilling and training and sustainability are other objectives of the proposed policy, the former union minister said.

“Cooperative societies in Bihar have a lot of potential. They can play a pivotal role in strengthening the rural economy and also bringing a cooperative movement in the country,' Prabhu said.

He assured the officials that the draft committee has taken utmost care in protecting the states' autonomy and federal characters.

“Cooperatives must penetrate in all spheres of sectors for better survival and wider outreach”, he said.

The panel for drafting the new National Cooperation Policy was formed by the Centre in September last year.

Speaking at the workshop, Bihar Cooperative Department Additional Chief Secretary Dipak Kumar Singh emphasised that states must be given autonomy to set the financial parameters towards ranking the cooperative institutions.

'While considering universal branding, we must give importance to already established brands of states for inclusiveness of marketing in this era of globalisation,' he said.

The workshop was attended by Cooperative department officials of Bihar, Jharkhand, Sikkim, Odisha and several other states of the East and North-East zones.

“The Centre must adopt uniformity while finalising the New Cooperation Policy. It must treat every state equally and should work towards ensuring all-round development of the cooperative sector,' Singh said.

Vaikunth Mehta National Institute of Cooperative Management Director Hema Yadav spoke about the importance of strengthening cooperative movement in the country, financing of cooperatives and infrastructure and technology adoption by them. PTI PKD BDC