Haryana to draft comprehensive State Cooperation Policy

Chandigarh, Sep 8 (PTI) Haryana is set to draft its own State Cooperation Policy, marking a major step towards strengthening the cooperative movement in the state.

The decision was disclosed during a meeting of the State Cooperative Development Committee (SCDC) held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi, along with senior officers from the Ministry of Cooperation, Government of India, including Dr Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Secretary, Pankaj Kumar Bansal, Additional Chief Secretary, Siddharth Jain, Joint Secretary, and Kumar Ram Krishna, Director.

According to a Haryana government statement, a committee for drafting the State Cooperation Policy will be constituted within a week.

The draft policy will take into account the experiences of other states while addressing Haryana's unique requirements. It will provide a roadmap for expanding and modernising cooperative institutions, ensuring their effective role in rural development, credit, housing, and allied sectors.

During the meeting, Chief Secretary Rastogi directed officials to diversify 34 Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS) across Haryana and adopt best practices from successful models in other states, ensuring the state's cooperative movement evolves as a benchmark for innovation and inclusivity nationwide.

The Department of Cooperation announced its plan to affiliate the Centre of Cooperative Management, Rohtak with Tribhuvan Sahkari University.

This affiliation is expected to give a strong boost to cooperative education and capacity-building, enabling better training for members of cooperative institutions, the statement said.

Registrar Cooperative Societies, Haryana, Rajesh Jogpal said Haryana has set forth an ambitious plan to establish new Multi-Purpose Cooperative Societies (M-PACS), Dairy Cooperative Societies (DCS), and Fishery Cooperative Societies (FCS) to ensure comprehensive coverage across all panchayats.

The state aims to create 477 new M-PACS and 583 new DCS by 2028-29, significantly expanding the cooperative network's reach.

The state has made significant progress in integrating healthcare services with the cooperative network. Currently, 95 PACS have received initial approval to operate as PM Jan Aushadhi Kendras, with nine societies already obtaining drug licences and store codes.

This initiative brings affordable medicines closer to rural communities, addressing a critical healthcare need, the official statement said. PTI SUN TRB