PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has said that cooperative movement in the State is not only a driving force for rural development and women’s empowerment but also an important medium to connect the society and direction of self-dependence. He was addressing the Cooperative Fair in Pauri on Monday.
He said that the fair will further strengthen the cooperative movement and provide a platform to the women and self-help groups. “Cooperative is a symbol of Indian culture and way of life and it gets reflected in the idea of ‘ Vasudev Kutumbakam,’’ he said. The CM averred that the State government has taken many steps for empowering the cooperative sector in the State. The work of computerisation of 671 Cooperative Committees has been completed and the data of 3838 out of 5511 committees in 13 districts has been uploaded on the government portal.
Dhami said that the government has increased the support price of Manduwa by Rs 5.50 and this year it is being procured at Rs 48.86 per kilogrammes. The government has provided interest free loans up to Rs five lakhs to the farmers under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya scheme.
The CM averred that Uttarakhand is first state in the country to implement the Uniform Civil Code. To curb the copying mafia, the country’s strictest law has been implemented, and more than a hundred people have been jailed under it. Dhami said that the State government took prompt cognizance of the recent UKSSSC paper leak case in Haridwar and has recommended CBI probe in the case apart from cancelling the examination.
He said that by implementing a strict land law in the state, land mafias have been effectively curbed, ensuring the security of Uttarakhand’s core existence.
Speaking on the occasion, the Cooperatives minister Dhan Singh Rawat said that a total of 31 lakh people are associated with cooperatives in the State and the State government has taken a target to increase it to 50 lakh. He said that more than 16 lakh farmers have received interest free loans. Rawar claimed that the Cooperative banks are in profit and the State has 1.80 Lakhpati Didis. The State government has taken a target to increase the number of Lakhpati Didis in the State to four lakh.
The Pauri MLA Rajkumar Pori, district Panchayat president Rachna Butola, district magistrate Swati S Bhadauria, SSP Lokeshwar Singh and other officers of administration and Cooperative department attended the fair.
