Srinagar; the Government of Jammu and Kashmir has taken significant steps towards fortifying the cooperative movement in the Union Territory (UT) by forming a Union Territory Level Cooperative Development Committee and District Level Cooperative Committees. These initiatives aim to bolster the cooperative sector and broaden its outreach across the region.
The Union Territory Level Cooperative Development Committee will be headed by the Chief Secretary of J&K. Its members include key officials from various departments such as Agriculture Production, Finance, RDD & Panchayati Raj, Revenue, and the Registrar of Cooperative Societies.
Additionally, representatives from NABARD, National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), State Cooperative Bank, and other relevant organizations will be part of the committee.
The committee’s responsibilities encompass ensuring comprehensive coverage of all Panchayats/Villages in the UT with multipurpose PACS or primary dairy/fishery cooperative societies. It will also oversee the establishment of new cooperative societies, with a target of establishing two lakh such societies in the next five years. Furthermore, the committee will coordinate with various national bodies to set up UT/District level federations and facilitate the integration of existing and new cooperative societies with financial institutions.
Similarly, the District Level Cooperative Development Committees will be chaired by the Deputy Commissioners, with representatives from different administrative, agricultural, and financial sectors. These committees will focus on the implementation of district-level plans, ensuring the coverage of all villages with cooperative societies, and establishing linkages with higher-level federations and financial institutions.
Special provisions have been made for specific districts, such as Kathua, with designated members to ensure comprehensive representation and coordination.
The Cooperative Department has been designated as the nodal agency for overseeing the execution of these plans, emphasizing the government’s commitment to strengthening the cooperative movement in Jammu and Kashmir.
By establishing these committees, the government aims to empower local communities, promote economic development, and foster cooperation among various stakeholders in the region’s socio-economic landscape.
