Rajasthan CM launches cooperative membership drive, says Cong turned sector into 'hub of corruption'

Jaipur, Oct 2 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Thursday accused the Congress of turning the cooperative sector into a "hub of corruption" as he launched a statewide membership campaign to expand cooperative societies.

Sharma inaugurated the 'Sahkar Sadasyata Abhiyan' (cooperative membership drive), which will run from October 2 to 15 across the state.

"Today is Dussehra, and we must end the Ravanas of corruption in the cooperative sector. Congress made cooperatives a hub of corruption. The very system that could have empowered farmers was used to push them into debt," Sharma said.

The chief minister asserted that the BJP government at the Centre and state will "expose these misdeeds" and strengthen the cooperative movement in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Sahkar se Samriddhi' (prosperity through cooperation).

As part of the campaign, more than 8,200 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) will hold special camps to induct new members, particularly women and youth.

The drive will also focus on forming new PACS, allocating land to landless societies for warehouse construction, and raising awareness about the provisions of the proposed new cooperative law.

Cooperative Minister Gautam Kumar Dak said the initiative would make the cooperative movement more robust and widespread.

"Once PACS are established in every gram panchayat, farmers will benefit from reduced wastage of produce, better storage facilities, and increased income through warehouse rentals. The new law will also bring transparency and efficiency to cooperative functioning," he said.

The campaign will also facilitate e-KYC and Aadhaar seeding for pending applications under the PM-Kisan scheme, enabling more farmers to access its benefits. PTI AG SKY SKY