Inaugurating a seminar on ‘Innovation through Rural Cooperatives’ at the Sahkari Bhavan under the 66th Cooperatives Week, Minister for Cooperatives, Parliamentary Affairs and General Administration Govind Singh said that the three-tier cooperative system will continue to be in force in the State, so that necessary facilities can be provided easily to the villagers.

Singh said that in fulfilling the dream of economic upliftment of the villagers cherished by the first Prime Minister of the country, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, the contribution of former Deputy Chief Minister Late Subhash Yadav has been commendable.

Singh informed that efforts are being made to revive the inactive cooperative institutions of the State.

This will provide a large number of employment opportunities to the youth and consumers will get quality material at reasonable price.

Singh said that policies will be made on the basis of the conclusions of the seminars organised under the Cooperative Week.

Presiding over the seminar, Farmers Welfare and Agriculture Development Minister Sachin Yadav said that cooperatives have an important role in the prosperity of small farmers.

Through this a new market can be made available to the produce of the farmers with small holdings and farmers can be given a beneficial price for their produce.

Yadav stressed the need for making the primary cooperative credit institutions multipurpose.

On this occasion, the Minister inaugurated the exhibition organised to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhiji and inaugurated the website “Tourfed”.

Managing Director of State Cooperative Union Rituraj Ranjan informed about the activities to be organized during the Cooperative Week.

He told that seminars will be organized on competent legislation for cooperatives on November 15, re-orientation of education-training through success stories on November 16, strengthening of cooperatives on November 17, new government initiative through cooperatives on November 18, cooperatives for youth, women and weaker sections on November 19 and on acquisition and digitisation of financial inclusion techniques through cooperatives on November 20.

Administrator of Apex Bank Ashok Singh, Principal Secretary, Cooperatives and Agriculture, Ajit Kesari, Commissioner cum Registrar MK Aggarwal, Managing Director of Markfed, Swati Meena Nayak, Managing Director of Apex Bank Pradeep Neekhra and Chief General Manager of NABARD SK Bansal was also present in the programme.