Vol. 58 No. 7 January 2021 · 2021. 1. 22. · ToTal PaGES 36 JANUARY 2021 The Cooperator 3 The...

Vol. 58 No. 7Vol. 58 No. 7 January 2021January 2021

3The Cooperator JANUARY 2021ToTal PaGES 36

The

JANUARY 2021Vol. 58 No. 7

Editor-in-ChiEf N. Satya Narayana

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TOTal PaGES 36

09 ‘Power of cooperatives should be highlighted’

13 UCBsplayingasignificantroleinAtmanirbhar Bharat: Jyotindra Mehta

15 NCUI asks for same incentives to PACS as given to FPos

16 leveraging PACS for Agri Infrastructure

19 PACSshouldtakebenefitsofnewfarmbills:Nabard Chairman

20 Time to Dump Emotions

22 Recession and Cooperatives in India

24 laws settled by Supreme Court on Co-operatives in 2020

30 lgdkfjrk gS fdlku vkanksyu dk funku

32 lDP for labour Coops

33 IN NEwS

The Cooperator JANUARY 20214

5The Cooperator JANUARY 2021

EDIToRIAl

Time for inTrospecTionThe New Year is the time for not only introspection by undertaking a stock of the past developments, but also an occasion to look ahead with a sense of optimism for the future.

During the year that ended, no one had visualized in the beginning that a severe calamity would hit the world economy, which would have grave consequences for the growth of any sector, including cooperatives. The deadly corona virus led to death and destruction, loss of livelihood, and migration of workers from the cities to the villages. The painful lockdowns which followed disrupted all economic activities. The cooperative sector in India was also under duress, but it rose to the occasion by providing monetary and humanitarian assistance to the people in crisis. Cooperative organizations like AMUL, IFFCO, KRIBHCO, NAFED, MARKFED, etc. spared no efforts to ensure that the essential commodities reach the doorsteps of the people in need despite disruptions in supply chain network. The strength and resilience of the cooperative sector helped it in generating positive awareness about cooperatives amongst the masses.

The corona pandemic taught cooperative organizations how to make use of digital technologies in their functioning. Besides business activities, conferences, seminars, workshops, and education & training programmes were conducted online. Despite the challenges faced by the pandemic, NCUI, in addition to its regular training programmes, also organized events like International Cooperative Day celebrations, Vaikunth Bhai Mehta Memorial Lecture, Cooperative Week celebrations, webinar in collaboration with SEWA, etc. by making use of latest digital technologies. The key recommendations which emerged during these events like coops joining hands with others in combating climate change, developing hi-tech cooperative banking, grooming PACS into multi-service cooperative societies, creating funding platform of cooperatives, etc. may have far-reaching implications for the growth of cooperative movement in future.

The online training programmes of NCCE got diversified in new areas like cyber security, digital technology, etc. and received higher number of participants. During the year, NCUI signed an MOU with APEDA to facilitate exports by cooperatives and joined hands with FICCI as an academic partner in organizing Global Youth Entrepreneurship and Industry Connect 2020.

During the year, NCUI showed its commitment to safeguard cooperative autonomy as its erstwhile President Dr Chandra Pal Singh Yadav raised the vital issue of finding a solution to the impasse of 97th Constitutional Amendment Act in the Rajya Sabha which got wide support from all across party lines. Meanwhile, NCUI opposed Banking Regulation Amendment Bill on the ground that it violates cooperative principles and values. During pre-budget consultations, NCUI forcefully advocated that the incentives provided to FPOs should be extended to PACS as well.

In the New Year, NCUI’s foremost priority would be to ensure that the plans and schemes of the government in line with our Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to double farmers’ income are implemented by cooperatives so that the benefits reach to the lowest sections of the society. Another priority would be to provide necessary inputs to the government for reformulation of National Cooperative Policy which is very important for providing a new direction to the growth of cooperative movement. There are many future challenges before NCUI like improving work productivity in new areas, adopting digital technologies, expanding horizons of cooperative education & training programmes, exploring new avenues of resource generation, strengthening our relations with the government and other stakeholders, and bringing the issues and problems of cooperative movement to the notice of the government so as to find viable solutions.

Wishing the readers of ‘The Cooperator’ a very Happy New Year 2021!


ncUi presidenT’s new Year message

at the outset, on behalf of the National Cooperative Union of India, I would like to wish you all a very happy and prosperous NEW YEAR 2021. May the New Year bring lots of joy and happiness in your lives. During the year 2020, the whole world including India was badly hit by corona pandemic which no one had ever visualized. The world economy was hit badly resulting in loss of jobs, and all economic activities came to a standstill. The cooperative sector was also affected, but the cooperative organizations rose to the occasion to show tremendous resilience as they served the needs of the poor and deprived sections of the society in crisis in the best possible manner. Besides giving adequate monetary assistance, they also provided the much needed social service by distributing food, sanitizers and other essential commodities among the people.

Cooperative organizations like AMUL, IFFCO, KRIBHCO, and MARKFEDs spared no effort to ensure that essential commodities reached the doorsteps of the people in need despite disruptions in supply chain network as people have full faith in the products and services provided

by cooperatives. In fact, cooperatives in India emerged stronger during the Covid pandemic.

Our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s call for Atmanirbhar Bharat in the wake of corona pandemic provided many opportunities to cooperatives to emerge as key institutions for building a self-reliant India. The cooperatives are quite capable in implementation of various schemes and programmes under the 20 lakh crore Atmanirbahr package.

During the year 2020, NCUI continued to play an important role in strengthening the cooperative movement. The Covid pandemic did not deter NCUI’s resolve to create a meaningful impact through its education and training

programmes. Through effective use of online platforms, which provided an opportunity to connect with a large number of participants, more particularly women and youth, the training programmes expanded their horizons by touching upon new areas like digital technologies, cyber security, etc.

I am sure that with your support and guidance we will be able to successfully address the challenges and take the cooperative movement to greater heights.

I once again extend on my own behalf and on behalf of the Governing Council of NCUI, a very happy and prosperous New Year.

Jai Hind, Jai Sahkar!

Dilip SanghaniPRESIDENT, NCUI


‘power of cooperaTives shoUld be highlighTed’

Historically, the negative externalities of a social or an economic crisis increases the value and

relevance of cooperative phi-losophy. This is much evident right from the industrial revolution of eighteenth century till now at this time of Covid pandemic. In fact, the impact of Covid 19 crisis is multifaceted in negative as well as positive terms – negative due to its emotional, socio-economic, political and cultural factors, and positive due to certain factors that help to reintegrate and reorganise the social system as a whole.

Covid-19 pandemic, as you all are aware, is wreaking havoc all over the world. our country is no excep-tion. Many sectors have been chal-lenged and some sectors have been drastically affected. It has heavily impacted on production, distribu-tion as well as employment. The severity of the pandemic on low-income people, especially informal workers, still continues.

while coming to Kerala scenario, under the able leadership of Hon’ble Chief Minister Sri. Pinarayi Vijayan, we are managing the pandemic situation in a unique and unparallel way. we are ensuring the basic ame-nities to all, quality healthcare free of cost, increased money supply to the economy by way of special packages, welfare pensions, special pensions, etc.

we have a vibrant and robust coop-erative movement in the state. The

state government effectively utilized the strength of cooperatives and we could put into practice the time-test-ed principle for overcoming these difficult and terrible times throughthe collective will of the people. The cooperative sector in Kerala, which has touched and transformed the lives of lakhs of people in the state, has pitched in to cushion the ill-effects of the pandemic. The peo-ple-oriented policies, which are the inherent strength of the cooperative sector, have helped the state to rear-range the banking and non-banking services to the people during these difficulttimes.

The demand and supply side man-agement of co-operatives in Kerala during this pandemic is a model to every such organizations the world over. The Kerala Bank, the apex co-operative bank of the state and its constituent societies well catered to the credit needs of farmers, SHGs and low income groups. The cooper-ative banking system could disburse special liquidity fund of NABARD to the tune of Rs. 1500 crore and low interest bearing loans to the tune of another Rs. 3500 crore during this period. The banking activities in the cooperative sector went ahead without any hindrances. Banking services were made available at doorsteps whenever such a situation was warranted. welfare pensions of the Government of Kerala were delivered 7 times (worth around Rs. 3,200 crore) to nearly 21 lakh fami-lies(around50%ofeligiblebenefi-ciaries) by the cooperative societies by following the safety precautions

even during lockdown period and ensuingperiodofcontrol.Asignifi-cant portion of the interest free-loan “Chief Minister’s Helping hand loan Scheme” (CMHlS) to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore disbursed through the Kudumbashree has been given by the cooperative sector. Gold loan schemes to Non -Resident Keralites at 3 per cent interest from Kerala Bank as well as loan schemes for employees in the tourism sector are some of the schemes introduced to alleviate the sufferings of people.

The Kerala Milk Marketing Federa-tion, popularly known as MIlMA, shielded dairy farmers collecting entire milk from them irrespective of shortfall in demand. The Kerala State Co-operative Consumer Fed-eration (Consumerfed) ran mobile super stores selling essential sup-plies even in areas declared as critical containment zones. They delivered essential supplies, medi-cines ordered online or through mobile calls, to those stuck inside their homes during the lockdown. Consumerfed also took care to store sufficient stock of foodma-terials with food security of the state in mind. when the neighbour-ing state of Karnataka closed the border roads of Kerala by putting up sand barriers, Consumerfed jumped into the fray by opening 10 Neethi stores in a single day in the border areas to ease the difficul-ties faced by people. The battery of Neethi shops, Neethi medical stores, pharmacies and cooperative hospitals were also working non-stop to serve the needy.

The power of cooperatives, especially their ability to promote mutualism, to provide livelihood, and to create new opportunities during and after calamities and crisis needs to be highlighted, said Shri Kadakampally Surendran, Minister for Co-operation, Tourism and Devaswom, Government of Kerala while delivering a speech during the inaugural function of Cooperative Week organized by NCUI on 14th November 2020. Excerpts from his speech:


The Fishermen Cooperative Federa-tion, MATSYAFED, expanded the chainoffishstallsinthestatejointlywith other cooperative societies, up-holding the principle of co-operation among cooperatives. Cooperative Federations in the traditional in-dustries sector such as HANTEX in handloom, CoIRFED in coir, CAPEX in cashew with the support of Government of Kerala ensured employment and income to the de-pendent families during this period.

Thesectorgavefinancialsupporttoprocure paddy during these times. Cooperative societies also came forward to construct more godowns for storing the procured paddy from the next season onwards. The pro-curement of raw cashew nuts was also done by the sector on behalf of Kerala State Cashew workers Apex Industrial Cooperative Society limited (CAPEX).

one of the major cooperatives of the state, the Uralungal labour Contract Cooperative Society (UlCCS) is contributing a lot to offset the harm done to the society by the pandemic. They are provid-ing 13,000 decent employments in construction, manufacturing as well as service sectors. Not only well-established cooperative institutions, but also various small cooperatives across the state supported Covid prevention activities. Cooperatives came forward to help the commu-nity kitchens, distribute food kits for the poor families, supply medicines, provide masks and sanitizers for health workers as well as distribute sanitizers and other safety equip-ments among general public.

The cooperative sector contributed significantlytotheChiefMinister’sDisaster Relief Fund (CMDRF). Cooperative societies, employees, directors, board members, all contributed to CMDRF. Reluctant to be fence-sitters, the cooperative sector has set out to create 17,000 job opportunities out of the 50,000 job opportunities promised by the

State Government in 100 days. out of this, till date we could create 10,000 job opportunities by way of MSME loans and another 1,000 employments directly by cooperatives itself. The government has quickly surpassed the 50,000 jobs target in 60 days and is now planning to add another 50,000 jobs, taking the tally to one lakh jobs in four months. The cooperative sector is also geared up to contribute its might in this new addition as promised by the government.

The cooperative sector has decided to lend its hand to the Government’s efforts to implement various devel-opment projects also. out of this, the majorinterventionisinthefieldofagriculture. The cooperative societ-ies started cultivation of fruits and vegetables on 3200 acres of land. As the Government declared base price for major vegetables in the state forthefirsttimeinthecountry,thecooperative sector has been asked to take active part in the mission. So far cooperative societies have opened 250 vegetable procurement and sale shops across the state. Big projects of storage, value-addition, etc. are at various stages of prog-ress taking support of NABARD Infrastructure Development Fund. Anothersignificantdevelopment isthe effort to bring all the products

in the cooperative sector under one brand and cooperative mark and to open new outlets (CoopMart) to sell them. Four such outlets have already started functioning.

There is a need to explain the Kerala model of cooperative interven-tions just to exemplify the inherent strength of cooperatives to over-comethedifficulttimes.Onthisoc-casion, I would like to mention one more project which is directly not related to the Covid situation. After thedevastatingfloodsof2018, thecooperative sector in Kerala initi-ated a project called Co-operative Alliance to Rebuild Kerala (CARe Kerala). Through this project so far we have constructed and handed over 2042 beautiful houses costing Rs. 5 to 12 lakh per house to the af-fected families. Now, the construc-tion of flat complexes for landlessand homeless families is progressing across the state under this project. The power of cooperatives, espe-cially their capability to promote mutualism, provide livelihood, and create new opportunities during and after calamities and crisis needs to be highlighted. At this auspicious moment, I would like to remind the statement of Ilo Director General – “Now is the time to look more closely at this new normal, and start on the task of making it a better normal, not so much for those who already have much, but for those who so obviously have too little”. The cooperative fraternity in the country must rededicate itself to create a better normal situation for the socio-economic development of the under privileged sections of the society through cooperatives.

It is hoped that the efforts of the cooperative sector along with other sectors will help people overcome this pandemic and we sincerely wish that an effective vaccine of corona virus is developed and made available soon so that the world returns to the old times of happiness and peace n

“Cooperative societies have opened 250 vegetable

procurement and sale shops across the state. Big projects of storage, value-addition, etc. are

at various stages of progress taking support of NABARD Infrastructure Development Fund. Another significant

development is the effort to bring all the products in the cooperative

sector under one brand and cooperative mark and to open new outlets (CoopMart) to sell them. Four such outlets have

already started functioning,” Shri Surendran said.


Ucbs plaYing a significanT role in aTmanirbhar bharaT: JYoTindra mehTa

NAFCUB’s biggest achievement during 2019-20 was approval from the RBI to promote a National level Umbrella organization (Uo) for Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs). The Uo has been registered as Na-tional Cooperative Financial and De-velopment Corporation ltd. having itsofficeinDelhi.TheRBIinitsap-proval letter had mentioned that the Uo would operate as an NBFC with a subscribed share capital of Rs. 300

crore and accordingly NAFCUB is preparing an application for getting this licence.

Besides providing fund based and non-fund based support, the Uo would also provide end-to-end tech-nology support to the urban coopera-tive credit sector and would function as a Self-Regulating organisation (SRo) for the sector.

The Uo is envisaged to be managed entirely by professionals and will have 50 per cent of independent directors who will be the persons ofeminenceinthefieldsoffinance,management, and technology. The success of this game changing move by NACUB will depend on the en-thusiasm with which all the UCBs involve themselves with the venture.

As per the RBI approval, the invest-ments made by UCBs in share capital of the Uo would be counted outside the prescribed limit of 10 per cent of DTl for non-SlR investments. It wouldnotbedifficultfor thesectorcomprising of 1,500 plus banks to subscribe the required share capital of the Uo of Rs 300 crore.

with sincere efforts of NAFCUB and others, cooperatives achieved parity with corporates in income tax rates, an anomalous position which was bothering all of us in the sector. we had met the Hon’ble Union Home Minister and Hon’ble Finance Min-ister in this regard. Convinced that cooperatives were being put at dis-advantage for no reason, the Hon’ble Finance Minister was kind enough to correct the anomaly in her budget for the year. Now UCBs are required to payincometax@22%ontheirprofit

Addressing the 44th AGM of NAFCUB held recently, Chairman Shri Jyotindra Mehta said that the urban cooperative credit sector is playing a very significant role in Atmanirbhar Bharat. He informed that the urban cooperative banks of Gujarat in association with the state government of Gujarat have formulated a scheme of financing micro units and have disbursed a sum of Rs.14,000 crore in a short span of just eight months. NAFCUB Chairman shared details of the developments related to Umbrella Organization for the UCBs and also spoke about the challenges faced by the sector. Excerpts from his speech:

as against 30% earlier. This would help in strengthening the reserves of UCBs and thereby provide more liquidity to the sector.

Enhancement of DICGC cover on deposits to Rs.5 lakh from Rs.1 lakh was another welcome culmination of the long struggle of NAFCUB to get the limit increased. Now with the increased coverage of Rs.5 lakh per depositorperbank,theconfidenceofpublic to keep larger deposits with UCBs would grow and this would eventually increase the deposits of UCBs. In this context, NAFCUB had strongly opposed to creating linkage of enhancement with risk-based premium, and it was a vindication of our stand that the enhancement in limit has been made without risk-based premium.

The recent Supreme Court Judgment on Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act (SARFAESI Act) in favour of cooperative banks was another positive development for the sector during the year. with this judgment, all UCBs would now be able to recover their bad debts in a definite time frame. This wouldhelpreduceNPAs,improvefinancialparameters, and project better image of the sector.

NAFCUB made concerted efforts for including UCBs under MUDRA and other schemes of the Govern-mentofIndiaforfinancingMSMEs.The Ministry of MSME has been very supportive and has announced inclusion of all UCBs under certain schemes. we are in touch with the Finance Ministry for streamlining the guarantee cover scheme under


CGTMSE for UCBs. It is time the UCB sector was recognized as an important player in financing ofMSMEs.

The recent amendments to the Banking Regulations Act have conferred more powers to the RBI for regulating cooperative banks. In this context, NAFCUB requested the Hon’ble Finance Minister that not-withstanding whatever is contained in the amendments, the basic cooper-ative character and democratic func-tioning of cooperative banks should

not be affected. Hon’ble Finance Minister has given an assurance on theflooroftheHousethatnothingin

the Bill will have any adverse effect on the cooperative character of the cooperative banks.

our sector is facing many challeng-es. The most immediate challenge is to deal with post Covid economy. Another challenge is to adapt with the changing regulatory regime that is going to unfold in the wake of amendments to the Banking Regu-lations Act. Yet another and a very important one is to ensure that the Uo becomes a pillar of strength for the sector in the days to come n

At the pre-budget consulta-tion meeting with the key representatives of agriculture

and cooperative sector in which Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and senior officials ofFinance Ministry were present, N Satya Narayana, Chief Executive, NCUI putting forth the demands of the cooperative sector said that while FPos are being provided various incentives, same incentives may be provided to viable PACs and multipurpose societies which may help in enhancing the price of farmers’ produce after processing. Pointing out that 60% of PACS in the country are viable, he said that the viable cooperatives need to be

included under the definition ofMSME under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Scheme as in case of MSMEs.

Based on Amul model, N Satya Narayana argued that PACS can procure the agricultural produce of all farmers, particularly poor, and process the same at various levels ac-cording to the capability of technol-ogy adoption. He said that through this, distress sale of farmers of any product can be avoided, for which sufficient fund base mechanismshall exist as in case of MSMEs and FPos. Further, he said that clause (v) of sub-section 2 of Section 80 P of Income Tax Act be amended so as toextend thebenefitof income tax

deduction to all primary agriculture societies engaged in processing of agricultural produce of farmer members, whether with or without the aid of power. Currently, only those PACS, which are processing, without the aid of power are ex-empted. Further, he said that under Atmanirbhar Bharat Package, within the schemes already sanctioned, cooperatives may be given their due share so that they can serve the farm community better. Representatives of Punjab Agriculture University, Bharatiya Kisan Unon, Spice Board, etc were present on the occasion. NCUI being the sole representative of the cooperative movement was invited in the meeting n

ncUi asks for same incenTives To pacs as given To fpos

“Besides providing fund based and non-fund based support, the Umbrella Organisation

(UO) would also provide end-to-end technology support to the urban cooperative credit

sector and would function as a Self-Regulating Organisation

(SRO) for the sector,” NAFCUB Chairman said.


leveraging pacs for agri infrasTrUcTUre

* FM, BIRD** Ex-GM, NABARD

M K De* & Sri A K SrivAStAvA**

Agriculture has always been the mainstay of the country and the issues affecting its development, primarily

credit, led to the establishment of Primary Agriculture Credit Society (PACS) in the beginning of the twentieth century. Even after inde-pendence, agriculture development has been the main theme of planned development in the country. The Five Year Plans emphasized upon the development of cooperatives in agriculture sector as a balancing factor between public and private enterprise. The democratic character of management, coupled with the support available to primary societ-ies from higher tier cooperative structure, enables primary societies to act as an effective instrument for decentralized planning and imple-mentation. It has been a conscious policy of both the union and state governments to promote coopera-tives.

The importance of infrastructure for development of any sector of economy, more so for agriculture, needs hardly any emphasis. Infra-structure is like the arteries and veins necessary for sustenance and growth of agriculture in the country. Though a lot has been done since independence, our primary focus has been on increasing production and productivity in agriculture. This has led to creation of large scale infrastructure relating to ir-rigation, etc., but not much has been done in the field of logisticslike warehouses and value addition, which are essential for increasing the market value of the produce. It is a matter of concern that public capital formation in agriculture has been declining from 3.9% of agri-Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 1980-81 to 2.2 % in 2014-15 and re-covered slightly to 2.6% in 2016-17. Incidentally, the input subsidies on fertilisers, water, power, crop insurance and agri-credit have risen from 2.8% to 8% of the agricultural

GDP during the same period. This approach has not found favour with many economists1.

There were 95,328 PACS as on March 2018 having a membership of more than 13 crore, spread over nook and corner of the country. Ap-proximately, one third of its members were small and marginal farmers2. Contrary to common misconception about this structure, most of these societies (approx. 86%) are either viable or potentially viable. They had disbursed around Rs. 98,670 crore by way of agricultural credit during 2017-183. out of total credit disbursement of Rs. 13.68 lakh crore to agriculture and allied sectors during 2019-20, the share of coop-erative banks was 10.9%4. So, the 1 Supporting Indian Farms, The Smart Way,

2018 – Publisher-Academic Foundation, Ashok Gulati, Marco Ferroni and Yuan Zhou

2 NAFSCOB, Performance of PACS 2017-18 http://nafscob.org/pacs_f.htm

3 NAFSCOB, Performance of PACS 2017-18 Table-Xii - Loans Issued and Loans Outstanding Purpose Wise http://nafscob.org/pacs_f.htm

4 Annual Report, Chapter 1, NABARD, 2019-20

PACS had lion’s share in the agricul-tural credit disbursed by cooperative banks in the country. Further, PACS has inherent advantages because of three Ps - Proximity to the members, Partnership with farmers (particu-larly small and marginal farmers) and Personalised attention.

Besides credit, the cooperatives have also been considered as a means to aggregate farmers for establishing scale in production and marketing activities. In view of their close association with small and marginal farmers, they continue to be the most trusted agency for their agricultural needs. It is expected that the infrastructure created by PACS would be the most suited in a particular area as the agency has the feel of ground realities more than anyplayerinthefield.

An important aspect of the func-tioningofPACS is their affiliationto higher tier of credit structure and close coordination with other insti-tutionsworking in the field of ag-

PACS should be leveraged to create small and modern warehousing and cold storage facilities near farms.


riculture. These societies can draw ready support from rural coopera-tive banking system consisting of 34 State Cooperative Banks and 363 District Central Cooperative Banks with more than 15500 branches5. Besides, PACS are in a position to leverage their association with other cooperative societies viz. processing societies, marketing societies, etc. for greater performance compared to any other agency.

over a period of time, the PACS have proved to be time tested model for tackling agricultural issues. They have emerged as an important source of credit, particularly for small and marginal farmers, which constituted 86.2% of total farmers in the coun-try6. Besides, these societies have the experience of managing agricultural infrastructure particularly godowns. Cooperative storage godowns are real, tangible and durable assets of the economy, which have provided a longstreamofbenefits.Thesocietieshave displayed their financial andmanagerial discipline in managing these infrastructure since 1980s by borrowing and constructing the rural godowns7. In recent years, many state governments have availed financialassistance from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural development (NABARD) under its Rural Infra-structure Development Fund (RIDF) for construction of godowns at PACS level. The PACS have been maintain-ing the assets quite efficiently. Thegodowns have served the farmers well in ensuring good quality fertilizer at reasonable rate as also in storage of cereal crops in the course of their procurement work.

The agriculture sector has grown leaps and bounds since green revo-lution and total food grain produc-5 Annual Report, Chapter5, NABARD,

2019-20 – Figures are as on March 20196 10th agriculture Census -2015-167 International Development Association

(a World Bank’s arm) sanctioned loan for construction of 7140 godowns for PACS in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana in 1979. The loan was routed to PACS through NCDC and State Cooperative Banks. NCDC and State Govt. also supported the project. (Document of the World bank -Report No. 6820 - documents1.worldbank.org › curated › pdf › multi-page

tion has improved substantially and was estimated at 295.67 MT during 2018-19. In horticulture sector, the total production of fruits and vegetable surpassed food grain and attained a record production of 312 MT. However, increase in production has not led to increase in farmers’ income. Though agri-culture production has increased substantially, the post production activities have not improved to the desired extent. The Report of the Committee on Doubling Farmers Income has also highlighted these concerns by saying that “the success of production as of now amounts to half success, and is therefore not sustainable”8. As per a study con-ducted by ICAR - Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET), there was wastage of fruits and vegetable to the extent of 16% and that of oilseed, pulses and grains around 10%9.

Govt. of India has embarked upon an ambitious target of doubling farmers income by the year 2022-23 to help farmers, reduce agrarian distress and bring parity between the income of farmers and that of others10. This is considered an uphill task keeping in view large variation in income levels of farmers and the very little increase in income levels of small & marginal farmers in the past. Besides, there is wide regional variation in farmers’ income with very low level of income of farmers in the state like Bihar, west Bengal, Uttarakhand and others11.

Keeping in view the obstacles in increasing farmers’ income by way of increase in production, the way 8 Report of the Committee on Doubling

Farmers’ Income –Volume VIII, Input Management for Resource Use Efficiency - ttp://farmer.gov.in/imagedefault/DFI/DFI%20Volume%207.pdf

9 ICAR – CIPHET - https://www.ciphet.in/study-on-post-harves-losses.php

10 NITI Policy Paper No.1, 2017 – Doubling Farmers Income https://niti.gov.in/ writereaddata/ files/document_publication/DOUBLING%20FARMERS%20INCOME.pdf

11 Financial Express, 17 July 2019 - In these 6 states, farmer families live on less than Rs 5,000 per month https://www.financialexpress.com/economy/in-these-6-states-farmer-families-live-on-less-than-rs-5000-per-month

forward would be creation of infra-structure for activities like produce aggregation, sorting and grading, packaging, storing and even linking the inner areas to major markets.

In order to address the issues emanat-ing out of Covid-19 pandemic, Govt. of India has embarked upon a vision for agriculture under “Atmanirbhar Bharat” which focuses on transform-ing farmers into entrepreneurs and doubling farmers’ incomes. As a part of initiatives in this direction, the union government has launched a long term (10 years) Central Sector Scheme for providing medium and long termfinancing facility forinvestment in viable projects for post-harvest management infra-structure and community farming assets. The assistance from the fund is expected to address issues relat-ing to post-harvest losses, market intermediaries and optimisation of inputs. PACS, being the grassroots institution, can prove to be an impor-tant player in this context. In a bid to seek participation of even small sized PACS, an enabling provision has been made for joining of hands by 2-3 adjacent PACS for creating an eligible common marketing infra-structure. Further, the fund addresses both supply and demand side issues of credit. It enables concessional cost of credit to grassroots borrow-ing institutions through a provision of interest subvention of 3% per annum and also provides for credit guarantee coverage for loans up to Rs. 2 crore to incentivise participa-tion of agencies like PACS in the scheme. The scheme guidelines also impose a cap of interest of 9% per annum for all such loans. In order to enable PACS avail funding facilities from District Central Cooperative Banks, these institutions have been made eligible under the scheme only ifPACSareaffiliatedtothem.

The post-harvest management projects eligible under the scheme include activities aimed at improving storage facilities like warehouses, silos, pack houses, value addition


services like assaying, sorting & grading, ripening chambers and primary processing centres as also improving supply chain services (in-cluding e-marketing platforms), cold chains and so on. All these activities would definitely help in reducingwastages and improve earnings of farmers. The scheme also permits building community farming assets. The activities like organic input production, bio-stimulant produc-tion units, infrastructure for smart and precision agriculture, etc. would definitely help in improving thequality of produce and increasing productivity of the farmers. In order to facilitate smooth implementation of the scheme, Govt. of India has already entered into Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with all public sector banks and a few private sector banks.

NABARD is an apex level organisa-tionprovidingfinancialsupport(re-finance,creditandgrant)tovariousagencies engaged in the field ofagriculture and rural development. It normally extends refinance andcredit facilities to scheduled banks, apex level cooperative banks, etc. Appreciating the need for develop-ment of PACS, NABARD took a bold initiative in partnering directly with them way back in 2011-12. Many PACS have been supported under its scheme of upgrading PACS as Multi–Service Coopera-tive Societies (MSCS). A number of initiatives were taken by PACS taking advantage of this assistance. The initiatives taken by PACS under this assistance included assis-tance for marketing infrastructure, common village facility, etc.

In view of the encouraging experi-ence gained by NABARD through its association with PACS, recog-nising the potential role of PACS in improving agri-infrastructure and reiterating its commitment to agricultural development in part-nership with grassroots institutions, NABARD has introduced a special refinance support at a very cheap

rate of 3 per cent per annum. Given the interest subvention available to intermediary agencies, the ultimate cost to be borne by PACS may be as lowas1%.Therefinancesupportisbeing made available to state coop-erative banks for a period of 3 years for financing of PACS to enablethem create quality infrastructure. NABARD aims to cover all the po-tential PACS and convert them into MSCS during this period. NABARD has already commenced vigorous implementation of the scheme and has accorded in principle sanction of proposals worth Rs. 1,568 crore to more than 3,000 PACs spread over 22 states in the country12.

The income of agriculturists is quite low in eastern Uttar Pradesh and the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, west Bengal and odisha. Their agriculture, with tiny farm holdings, is saddled with a large labour force. The health of PACS and the rural cooperative banks in these areas is coincidentally not very strong. There is a need for focussed attention to viable PACS in these areas so that they help in strengthening agricultural infrastruc-ture, which is so essential for the de-velopment of agricultural economy in this region. Special focus on PACS in these areas, similar to Mar-shall Plan of USA in 1948, may be of great help not only to this region but for the country as a whole.

The farmers at present face the plight of disposing off their produce due to lack of appropriate storage facilities. warehousing and storage are reservoirs of massive growth potential in the sector as also evi-denced from reduction in wastage of onions to 10% in cold storage compared to the 25-30% wastage in traditional storage facilities on farmers’ fields. The PACS mustbe leveraged to create smaller but modern warehousing and cold storage capacity near the villages at an appropriate cost by making 12 Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’

Welfare, Govt. of India, PIB Press Release- 18 September 2020 https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1656140

use of cheaper power resources like solar energy. The enabling legal environment created by passing of major legislation facilitating barrier free environment for movement of agriculture produce would provide agreatfilliptorealisationofbetterprices to farmers with storage ca-pacity of perishable products.

The opportunity of creation of in-frastructure through PACS provides immense scope for development of agricultural produce grown in select regions like Makhhana (Fox Nut) and maize in north Bihar, ginger (Uttarakhand), turmeric (lakadong Variety in Meghalaya), etc. The development of infrastructure nec-essary for cultivation, harvesting, processing and packaging will help thefarmerstoreapthebenefitfromniche market. Efforts should be made in this direction as big players in infrastructure have not been able to address the concern of such farmers.

PACS as an institution are not managed by personnel with great acumen for preparing detailed project report, business plans, etc. which are essential for availing financialsupport from banking system. There may be a need to provide some hand-holding and other support to enable them avail support from the scheme. A critical component is the support extended by higher tier institutions like District Central Cooperative Bank and State Cooperative Bank asfinancialassistanceistoberoutedto PACS through these institutions. Besides, state government officialsof cooperation department both at the state and district levels must be taken on board for effective and smooth implementation. There is a need for closer coordination with these institutions for optimum utili-sation of the potential available in leveraging PACS.

(The views expressed in the article are those of the authors and do not reflect that of the organisation they belong to.)


pacs shoUld Take benefiTs of new farm bills: nabard chairman

Speaking at a NAFSCoB func-tion recently, Nabard Chair-man Dr Govinda Chintala

stressed on cooperatives reinventing themselves to take on the private sector. “Commercial companies are ahead of co-ops because they use advanced technologies as well as the most appropriate tools to reach out to the people. As they employ the best business models, there is a need for cooperatives to re-invent themselves”, Chintala said.

Chintala was speaking at a national seminar organized by Nafscob on ‘Recent Trends in Agriculture Credit Cooperatives and Banking’. He was the keynote speaker while Kribhco Chairman Dr Chandra Pal Singh Yadav was the chief guest.

The other guests included Biscomaun Chairman Sunil Kumar Singh, NCUI Vice-President K Sivadasan Nair, NCUI CE N Satyanarayana, Andaman & Nicobar State Cooperative Bank Chairman Kuldeep Rai Sharma and chairmen and CEos of various state co-operative banks, district central co-operative banks, PACCs represen-tatives and many others.

“Co-ops have to develop new busi-ness plans for surviving in future and Nabard is giving a business development initiative cell to every state cooperative bank. If PACCs get computerized then co-ops can be used for disbursing DBT,” Chin-tala added.

Diagnosing the ills that plague co-ops, Nabard Chairman felt they have failed partly due to poor governance. PACCs are the finaldelivering point which is to be strengthened. There are over 96k PACCs in the country and out of these 50k PACCs are not in a good position but 35k PACCs are doing a wonderful job in our country.

“Now, the time has come to focus on 35k first and they should beconverted into multi service society co-ops.PACCscantakethebenefitof New Farm Bills because the market has been opened for farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country,” Chintala said.

on the occasion, the Nabard Chair-man announced: “we have decided to give Rs 5 crore as grant to each State Cooperative Bank for com-puterization. with this Rs 5 cr you can do computerization of 200-300 PACCs.”

In his inaugural address, Kribhco Chairman Chandra Pal Singh Yadav praised the efforts of co-ops for playing an important role during the lockdown imposed due to Covid-19. “Neither state govts nor

the central government are giving priority to coops, it is a matter of concern. After assuming office instates political parties give priority to amending the co-op Act for their own interests,” he said.

Referring to FPos, Shri Yadav said these should be registered under a cooperative Act. “This work should be given to PACCs. And I have seen in several cases that FPos are being made as family groups for taking ben-efitsandthemainobjectiveofFPOsstands defeated,” he pointed out.

“we have to work to increase the membership base of the society and link more and more youth and women with the cooperative movement. Besides, the 97th Con-stitutional Amendment Act should be implemented in all the states,” Kribhco Chairman concluded.

Biscomaun Chairman Sunil Kumar Singh, who presided over the seminar, said: “Doubling the income of farmers is only possible through cooperatives. As we have seen in the past, the Green Revolution and white Revolution were brought about by co-ops and I am sure the Blue Revolution too will be carried out through co-ops only.”

NCUI CE N Satyanarayana said, “Co-ops in India are reorganiz-ing and reinventing themselves to serve mankind in this hour of crisis. PACCs should come forward to take the benefit of theAgri-Infra Fundto augment storage and processing for value addition of agricultural produce at the farm gates.”

Nafscob MD Bhima Subrahman-yam shared details of the activities of his organization and said due to Covid-19 cooperatives in many countriesareexperiencingfinancialandsocialdifficultiesn

“Now the time has come to focus on 35k PACCs first and they

should be converted into multi service society co-ops. PACCs

can take the benefit of New Farm Bills because the market has

been opened for farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the

country.” Dr Govinda Chintala

CHAIRMAN, NABARD


Time To dUmp emoTions

* Director, Madhusudan Institute of Cooperative Management, Bhunabeswar

ShAntAnu GhoSh

Protests against the three recently passed farm laws continue with farmer groups

demanding that these be repealed. Protesting farmers sitting around Delhi are refusing to withdraw despite several rounds of talks by the government assuring them to protect and safeguard their interests and find out a viable solution totheir areas of concern.

Protesting farmer unions have termed these laws as anti-farmer claiming they will result in with-drawal of minimum support price (MSP) and weaken the govern-ment procurement systems through the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC). Calling it a conspiracy to “corporatisation of agriculture”, they allege that the new laws would leave farmers to the mercies of the corporate houses.

Besides MSP, the other issues raised by protesting farmers are legal re-course in contract farming, registra-tionand identificationofbuyers inprivate mandis, tax parity between public and private mandis, etc.

The new laws seek to bring in the much needed reforms in farming sector. They have the potential to make farming a lucrative business by openingthefloodgatestoprivatein-vestment and innovation into a sector which still provides employment to more than half of India’s population. Industry players and participants in agriculture value chain feel that the new laws are progressive and vision-ary. More importantly, with these laws the government is hoping to achieve its mission of doubling the farmers’ income by 2022.

It is interesting to note that most of the protesting farmers are from the two states of Punjab and Haryana whichhavebenefittedthemostfromthe existing MSP system. The em-phasis on APMC and MSP system by protesting farmers is misplaced. NITI Ayog study of 2015-16 shows

that the awareness about MSP remains as low as 6 percent and the regime favours only a small propor-tion of farmers. Also, according to the NSS 70th round only 25 percent of agricultural households sold their produce to the APMC mandis. Punjab and Haryana are the major procuring states where 80-90 percent of farmers sell their products at the MSP. Allowing entry of private players would increase competition and even force mandis to overhaul their entire operation. The new farm laws open the access to many agri start-ups working to digitize parts of the process, provide data led crop advisory, enhance market linkages and build procurement infrastruc-ture near the farm gate.

The structural reforms will incen-tivise farmers to think beyond rice and wheat for which the country already has huge stocks and sur-pluses every year and move towards remunerative cash crops or venture towards lucrative fields like dairy,horticulture,poultry,floricultureandfisheries. Farmers in many statesseemed enthusiastic to the new farm

laws, but their counterparts in Punjab, who thrived because of a system where the government buys their entire produces of wheat and paddy at MSP, nurtured the fear psychosis. Some of the fears appear to have some logic, but majority of them are prompted by Adatiyas (middlemen) who apprehend loss of business and competition to the private players.

Another logical inference which can be drawn for the agitating farmers of Punjab is that each farm household currently gets subsidies that are more than double of what the farmers from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat get. It does not matter for the political parties in Punjab that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) is forced to buy paddy and wheat from Punjab, even if it has led to overflowingofgodownsandbufferstock excess of norms. This glut has led to about Rs 1,80,000 crore being blocked, and much of it is rotting.

Many would agree that the new farm laws are a major step in liberating India’s farmers from a vicious cycle

The new farm laws seek to liberate India’s farmers from a vicious cycle they are trapped in.


they are trapped in. These reforms provide the legal and administra-tive basis to permit contract farming while protecting farmers’ rights. For decades, agriculture in India has been in dire need for reforms, and the chronic distress which the farmers face is a consequence of policy frame-work that has kept them trapped in a cycle of low productivity.

Relevance of MSP

The Royal Commission of Agricul-ture (1926) recommended APMC and following this some of the provinces passed a Model Bill in 1931. However, most states passed the APMC Acts in the period from thesecondhalfof1960stothefirsthalf of 1980s. The number of regu-lated markets shot up from 146 in 1945 to 7,114 in 2014. The Royal Commission also stated that the market committees should not have licensed brokers as members. But all the APMCs now have traders and commission agents as farmers. Indeed, mandi committees represent them more than the farmers. Also, for many mandi committees, elec-tions have not been held for years.

As per the last agricultural census (2015-16), there were 146 million agricultural holdings which may have increased further because of fragmentation leading to increase in the number of small and marginal farmers. Measured in terms of oper-ating area, most holdings are in Ra-jasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Also, in terms of number of holdings, most fall in UP, Bihar, and MP. Eighty six percent of agricultural holdings comprise of large/big farmers (less than 10 hectors). Therefore, keeping the inter-est of the majority of the farmers in mind, the government has taken a fair view of the Act as expected.

Thedefinitionoffarmersinthecountryis also opaque and is contingent on owning agricultural land. The survey report of State Agrarian Relations and UnfinishedTaskinLandReformsin

2009 reported about the bad state of affairs of the cadastral surveys and land revenue records in the country. The fact remains that unless there are proper surveys, a clear picture of the land ownership title will not emerge. Computerisation of old survey records is pointless. There is a digital Indian land Records Modernisa-tion Programme (DIlRMP) with a dashboard. The surveys/resurveys have been conducted in 11.5 percent of the total villages and surprisingly this has not been undertaken in a single village of Punjab. Using that data, the NCEAR developed land records and service index. In the 2020 rankings, MP, odisha and Ma-harashtra are at the top. Punjab and Haryana are positioned at 16th and 18th rank respectively. In 2017, west Bengal abolished land revenue. with no revenue records and imperfect surveys it would had been impossible to estimate the number of farmers.

Finally, the mandi fees were around one percent during late 1960s, and the money so collected was used to

build infrastructure during the Green Revolution. The Economic Survey 2014-15 had some numbers, includ-ing all fees. For example, for rice, it was 19.5 percent in Andhra Pradesh and 14.5 percent in Punjab. For wheat it was 14.5 percent in Punjab and 11.5 percent in Haryana. The funny part is that the farmers do not get this, but the consumers have to pay. If reforms ensure choice to everyone, then why not the farmers are free to sell through whatever channel they want, without having to mandatorily go through registered mandis?

The government has adopted a conciliatory approach so far and is willing to address the farmers’ misgivings over the new laws. No reform has ever happened out of a complete consensus. In majority of the cases, this arises out of crisis, and Indian agriculture too is passing through the same. It’s high time to dump politics and emotions in the backseat, and adopt a reasonable ap-proach which is the need of the hour for the better future of the farmers n

NCCErecentlyconcludedOnlineCertificateCourse inCooperativeLawand Management held from 21 September to 31 october, 2020. 46 coopera-tive employees working in different cooperative organizations attended this course.Cooperativelaw,functionalmanagementandfinancialmanagementwere the three subjects covered during this course. Two sessions were con-ducted every day by various subject experts. Apart from open discussions and clearing queries, faculty members also gave assignments to expose the participants to the practical aspects of the subjects.

At the end of the course, an online examination was conducted through Google Forms to evaluate the knowledge gained by the participants. out of 46 participants, 31 cleared the examination. Mr. A.N. Kumar Sahu (Chhat-tisgarh), Mr. S.K. Bisht (NCUI) and Mr. Dinesh Kr. Dixit (Chhattisgarh) securedthefirst,secondandthirdpositionsrespectively.Theparticipants,who have not been able to clear the exam, will be given another chance to reappear for online examination in the month of January, 2021 n

online cerTificaTe coUrse in cooperaTive law and managemenT


recession and cooperaTives in india

h.S.K. tAnGirAlA

India entered the period of eco-nomic recession on 27th No-vember, 2020, as its GDP (Gross Domestic Product) contracted by

7.5% in the July-September quarter, when compared to the same period last year, according to National Sta-tisticalOffice.Itwasreportedthatthecountry’s GDP contracted by 23.9% when compared to 5.2% growth in the same period a year ago i.e., April-June. Two consecutive quar-ters of contraction in GDP growth (23.9%, and 7.5%) is considered as recession, technically.

A recession occurs when the growth of the economy falls below zero. The growth is the change in the value of goods and services produced in a year or a quarter. A recession is due to slowdown in the velocity of money, decrease in investment, a dropindemandforfirms’products,lowering of returns on investments, limited access to credit, shutdown of industries or business houses, no alternatives or substitutions, etc.

Agriculture has always been the backbone of the Indian economy. It has been providing employment to around 65% of the total workforce in the country. Indian agriculture has not been much impacted by reces-sion. It has shown growth of 3%.

when tsunami occurs one cannot remain un-wet. likewise, coop-eratives too have to face the impact, even if not severely. According to Cornforth and others, 1988, finan-cial crises may threaten cooperative values, hinder democratic prin-ciples in favor of market interests, and foster a degeneration process, which may lead to the failure of such democratic organizations in the long run. But the cooperatives in India can reverse these statements as culture and ethics of people are unique. Further, we have to recall the basic strength of cooperatives as felt by Raiffeisen.

During agricultural depression in 1860s in Germany, a social reformer,

Friedrich Raiffeisen, provided emer-gency food aid to hungry farmers and their families, but then realized that what they really needed was credit to help them to modernize their methods and gain access to markets for their produce. He designed a new type of savings and credit cooperative which was enthusiastically taken up by the farmers. The idea of rural coopera-tive bank spread throughout main-land Europe, and led to promotion of supply and marketing cooperatives. Together, they helped develop the modern farm economy.

Recessions can do real damage to banks via credit losses, declines in the value of other investments, reduc-tions in new business revenues, etc. Even worse, the situation can spiral downward as damage to banks cuts into credit availability. Cooperatives have to prepare themselves to get ready to reduce its impacts, especially the cooperative banks, i.e., urban co-operative banks and state cooperative banks. Though viable projects should befunded;strictfinancialdisciplineisa must. The banks may reduce inter-est rates on deposits and emphasize on quick and timely implementation of government schemes. The coop-

erative banks have to cut the opera-tionalcostastheycannotcutthefixedcosts. No new recruitments shall be invited, rather these institutions have to depend more on technologies to increaseoperationalefficiencies.ThePACS have to findmore new busi-ness avenues and initiate local based multi-services.

The housing cooperatives shall not go for risky venture. Historically, in times of a recession, households attempt to preserve cash, postpone travel plans, and delay big-ticket purchases such as automobiles or large electronics, instead of adopting a ‘wait and watch’ approach which, ultimately, perpetuates the negative cyclical effect. As the members of the housing cooperatives, they try to keep funds in reserve, and they do not have a tendency to spend for huge investments. They rather concentrate on daily needs.

In Sweden, after the price collapse of 1930, instead of cooperatives giving way to state marketing boards, co-operative federations took control of farm credit, dairy, forestry, eggs, meat and fruit, presided over by a strong National Union of Swedish Farmers.

Cooperative model provides comparative advantages, but there is no magic formula for success.

* Director, Institute of Cooperative Management, Hyderabad


Another example is that of USA and Canada. During depression when the farm prices in the US and Canada fell, a new type of cooperative was devised that aligns farmer share-ownership to delivery rights, thus enabling farmers to go into food processing. There are around 200 of these ‘new generation’ cooperatives, and they have raised the incomes of farmers dramatically and revitalized the local economies of North Dakota, Minnesota and neighbouring states.

The severe recession experienced in Finland in the early 1990s after the Soviet Union collapsed led in part to unemployment reaching more than 20% of the population. The response was a ‘new wave’ of worker coopera-tives promoted and supported by the Ministry of labour and the Finnish Cooperative Movement which led to over 1200 labour cooperatives designed to get unemployed people back into work. The same thing may be replicated in India also where the labour force has faced the problems during CoVID-19.

There will be less impact on agri-cultural based cooperatives as they are fulfilling the basic needs ofpeople. Cooperative businesses sta-bilize communities because they are community-based business orga-nizations. They distribute, recycle, and multiply local expertise and capital within a community. The co-operatives by nature pool in limited resources to achieve their simple objectives for which they exist. The cooperatives enable theirs owners to generate income, create jobs, ac-cumulate assets, provide affordable goods/services, develop human capital, and create social capital for economic independence.

Agricultural cooperatives shall go for processing and value addition, where they can earn more profitsand can reach new markets.

labour contract cooperatives are mostly affected by recession. The labour cooperatives have to give

Urban Cooperative Bank (UCBs) Marginal negative impactTribal Cooperatives No negative impactToddy Tappers Cooperative society No negative impactState Cooperative Marketing Federations No negative impactSheep and Goat Cooperative society No negative impactRural Irrigative Cooperatives/water users Cooperatives No negative impactRural Electric Cooperative Society No negative impactPrimary Dairy Cooperative Societies No negative impactPrimary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) (Short Term lending Function)

No negative impact

Primary Agricultural Rural Development Cooperative societies (long Term lending Function)

Marginal negative impact

Mandala Mahila Sahakata Samakya Marginal negative impactlabour contract Cooperative society negative impactIndustrial Cooperative society negative impactHandloom weavers Cooperative Societies (HwCS) negative impactFruit and Vegetable Cooperative society No negative impactFishery Cooperative Societies (FCS) No negative impactFamers Producers organisation (FPos) registered under Cooperative societies Act

No negative impact

Employees Cooperative society No negative impactDistrict Cooperative Milk Unions No negative impactDistrict Cooperative Marketing Society (DCMS) No negative impactDistrict Cooperative Central Bank (DCCB) Marginal negative impactCooperative Joint farming Society No negative impactConsumer cooperative society No negative impactwasherman Cooperative society No negative impactHandicraft Cooperatives negative impactHousing Cooperative society negative impact

training to their members on dif-ferent skill-based activities so as to take contracts easily. Not in the recession, even in the non-recession period also, labour cooperatives have not shown much interest on skill development. They remained unskilled most of the time. Efforts are required to use skill develop-ment institutions set up by Govern-ment of India. Based on a study, the following table indicates whether there is positive or negative impact on various types of cooperatives.

The Atmanibhar Bharat stimulus package announced by Government of India was referred by financialexperts as 1% of GDP which is less when compared to other countries. In the centre’s original stimulus package, provisions were made for food rations and some monetary support was provided to the nation’s worst-affected communities, but the absence of a dedicated social welfare net means that the actual slump in GDP growth could be

even higher than that predicted by the world Bank.

However, the cooperatives have to use this package effectively, es-pecially agriculture and marketing cooperatives by setting up processing units which increase more returns to the farmers. An action plan of all the cooperatives is indispensable for their preparedness in taking up suitable action in the wake of changes that are taking place in the activities of the so-cieties.Thecooperativeshavetofindinnovative opportunities which suit the local needs of the members of the cooperatives. The cooperative model provides comparative advantages, but there is no magic formula for success. The hard work put in by the coopera-tives, made the Green Revolution and white Revolution successful which was made possible with a vast network and reach of the cooperatives in India. likewise all the cooperatives have to work hard, change business models, diversify their activities to make the movement surge ahead.

Table


laws seTTled bY sUpreme coUrT on

co-operaTives in 2020

* Puducherry Civil Service Officer (Retired), Director, Catalyst [The Training People]

r. MurAliDhArAn*

The world is experiencing unprec-edented challenges from COVID-19 — the coronavirus pandemic — that could erase development gains for many countries. The pandemic has profoundly impacted human capital, including lives, learning, basic well-being, and future productivity. The crisis has also severely tightened external financing conditions for countries across the income spectrum, disrupting trade, supply chains, and investment flows.

On the legal side, the Courts have invented disposal of cases through video conferencing and the judicial officers and advocates have becomes tech savvy. The pandemic situation has not damp-ened the disposal of cases even in the field of co-operation. The Supreme Court has continued its trend setting judgments. Perhaps for the first time a Constitution Bench was constituted to decide the applicability of the SARFAESI Act on co-operative banks and the Court answered in affirmative. The 44 year legal battle involving NCDC and Income Tax Depart-ment was given a quietus and the Court provided the much needed relief to NCDC. Few more illumi-nating decisions have also been set out by the Apex Court in 2020 in co-operative arena. This article brings out the quintessence of these judgments.

WhetheR eMPloyeeS’ dueS take PRecedence oveR the claiM of the SecuRed cReditoR?

Vainganga Sahakari Sakhar Karkha-na ltd. (hereinafter ‘Karkhana’) had obtained credit facilities from the Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank ltd. and mortgaged its proper-ties in return. when it defaulted on the repayment of loan, the appellant-Bank initiated recovery proceedings under S. 13(2) of the SARFAESI Act. later the appellant-Bank took

physical possession of the mort-gaged properties of the Karkhana as per S.13(4) of the SARFAESI Act.

Owing to its poor financial condi-tion, the Karkhana issued a notice to its employees directing them to proceed on leave without salary. This was challenged by representa-tives of the Karkhana employees under the Maharashtra Recognition of Trade Unions and Prevention of Unfair labour Practices Act, 1971 (‘MRTU & PUlP Act’, for shot). The Industrial Court directed the Karkhana to pay the unpaid salaries on top priority basis.

The issue that arises for consideration in this appeal is whether employees’ dues can take precedence over the claim of the secured creditor in respect of the proceeds from the sale of secured assets of the Karkhana under the SARFAESI Act. Given that the Karkhana was a co-operative society registered under the Maha-rashtra Co-operative Societies Act, 1960, S. 167 is squarely applicable. The next question to be considered

is whether the employees’ dues can take priority over other claims by virtue of being recoverable as arrears of land revenue.

when a composite reading of the sale certificate and the sale letteris undertaken, it is revealed that though the purchaser had accepted all encumbrances on the prop-erty, this did not include employ-ees’ dues in view of the specificundertaking by the appellant-Bank that it would pay them. Hence, it can be concluded that the parties had agreed to the Bank paying the employees’ dues and the subsequent purchaser settling other liabilities, including statutory liabilities. The appeal was disposed with a direc-tion that the appellant-Bank must pay the employees’ dues out of the sale proceeds from the auctioned property. All other dues in respect of the secured property, including any unpaid statutory dues in rela-tion to employees (provident fund, gratuity, bonus, etc.) shall be paid by the 5th respondent. The appeal was disposed accordingly.


veRification of MeMbeRS Should be done exPeditiouSly

The Registrar of Co-operative Soci-eties,seekingamodificationofthedirections issued by the Division Bench of the High Court of Delhi, has moved the Supreme Court in Registrar of Co-operative Societies vs. Federation of Progressive So-cieties, Civil Appeal Nos. 429-430 of 2020 dated 20.1.2020. Besides the order, there is also a challenge to a subsequent order dismissing an application for recall of the earlier order.

The issue which has been raised in the present appeals pertains to the verification of themembers offifteenco-operativesocietieswhichare represented by the Federation of Progressive Societies, the respon-dent to these proceedings. In a judg-ment rendered by the Court in Delhi Development Authority vs. Bank-mens Co-operative Group Housing Society limited, (2017) 7 SCC 636 itwasobservedthatverificationof

the members must be done even at the stage before the land is allotted to the society. The High Court ob-served that rejection of membership or application for enrolment for technical reasons, after payment of the cost of land and construction is an agonizing and tormenting ordeal. The inquiry under Rule 90 would be undertaken and carried out at the appropriate stage.

It was submitted that that the RCS is fulfillingthemandateofconductingaverificationofmembersandthereshould be no substantive objection on the part of the respondent to this exercise being completed. The RCS would complete the process of verification within a period oftwo months, immediately after the elections to the legislative Assem-bly are completed by the middle of February 2020. Having regard to the above factual background, the sub-mission which has been made by the RCS for carrying out the process of verificationisinorder.Atthesametime,verificationcannotbeallowed

to linger on for an intermittently long period and must be completed within a time bound schedule.

If any facilitative direction is re-quired hereafter for implementing this order, it would be open to either of the parties to move the High Court for appropriate directions. These directions shall be over and above which have already been issued by the High Court. The appeals are ac-cordingly disposed of.

PayMent of huge daMageS by a conSuMeR co-oPeRative StoRe Will ReSult in PRecaRiouS financial PoSition

The award damages passed against the appellant co-operative store bythetrialCourt,asconfirmedbythe High Court of Madras, is under challenge in The Periyar District Consumer Co-operative wholesale Stores ltd. vs. B. Balagopal (Died) Through lRs. and others, Civil Appeal No. 1893 of 2020 dated 2.3.2020.


The only issue for consideration is with regard to the liability or oth-erwise of the defendant to pay the damages as sought by the plaintiffs and in that regard whether the claim as put forth by the plaintiffs and awardbythetrialCourtisjustified.It was contended by the appellant that in the earlier round of litigation, whenanapplicationwasfiledbytheplaintiffs in the eviction proceedings an understanding had been reached and the defendant had accordingly agreed to vacate the premises in six months and have adhered to such un-dertaking and vacated the premises during November 2003. In such event merely because liberty was reserved in the said proceedings, instituting a suit of the present nature seeking higher damages would not be justi-fiedmoresoinacircumstancewhenthe High Court in the earlier instance hadfixedahigher rent for the saidperiod of six months.

In the present facts, during the course of consideration of this appeal what appealed to the Court is also that the appellant is a district consumer co-operative wholesale stores and the premises had been taken on rent for its activity and it is not a business activity in the strict sense of the term but is co-operative activityfor thebenefitofmemberswho are shareholders. The defen-dant is a consumer co-operative wholesale store and has already vacated after paying the enhanced amount ordered by the High Court. If substantial unplanned expendi-ture is heaped on the society for the retrospective period it would be put inafinanciallyprecariousposition.

In the result, the judgment and decree ofthetrialCourtandaffirmedbytheHighCourtstandsmodifiedholdingthat the defendant shall pay to the plaintiff the sum of Rs.17,50,000 being the lump sum damages. Since the sum of Rs.10 lakh has been paid by the defendant to the plaintiffs, the balance of sum of Rs.7,50,000 shall be paid. The appeal was allowed to the above extent.

When Revival of SuPeR bazaR iS foiled, Refund of inveStMent can only be aS PeR liquidation PRoceduReS

The Central Registrar of Co-oper-ative Societies passed an order for the winding up of Super Bazar. The order of winding up was upheld by the Appellate Authority. Finding that as a multi-state co-operative society, the institution had not sub-served the interest of the general public, the Appellate Authority held that the Central Government was under no obligation to continue infusing funds to keep Super Bazar afloat without the prospect of anyreturns. The writ petitions before the High Court of Delhi were dismissed as a consequence of which the order of liquidation was upheld. The Supreme Court granted opportuni-ties to the workers to bring forth an entity with whose assistance Super Bazar could be revived.

The writers and Publishers Private limited (wPl) submitted a revised bid together with a business plan. The bid submitted by wPl en-visaged an investment by it of Rs.504 crore. The Court ordered that pending the revival of Super Bazar, the order of winding up was to remain suspended. Moreover, as and when the scheme of revival came into force, it would substitute the order of winding up.

It is noted that out of the proposed infusion of Rs. 504 crore under the revival plan, wPl had brought in an amount of Rs.102 crore towards share capital but the status of the infusion under the other two heads (working capital and revival funds) was unknown. There was a serious impasse arising out of the non-implementation of the revival plan. The Central Government submitted that if wPl were to withdraw from the revival process, Super Bazar ought to be placed under liquidation and all claims would be duly inves-tigated by the Central Registrar. The Central Government, as a creditor

of Super Bazar, had an outstanding loan amount of Rs. 68.51 crore. Ac-cording to wPl, it was entitled to a refund of the entire investment to-gether with interest at the rate of 6% per annum, subject to the deduction oftheprofitsmadeduringtheperiodwhen the arrangement subsisted. The question before the Supreme Court in the Contempt Petition in M/s. writers and Publishers Pvt. Ltd., vs.Dr.A.K.Mishra,Officialliquidator, 2020 (6) SCAlE 208 is whether the wPl is entitled for the claim dehors of the liquidation provisions of the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act.

Chapter X of the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act deals with the winding up of multi-state co-operative societies. Rule 28 of the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Rules lays down the procedure to be adopted by the liquidator. Rule 29 provides for the order of prior-ity in accordance with which the assets of a multi-state co-opera-tive society shall be applied in the payment of liabilities. The Multi-State Co-operative Societies Rules in particular, indicate the procedure to be adopted by the liquidator and the manner in which the assets are to be applied. The order of priority is spelt out. To allow the claim of wPl to be refunded its entire investment amount, the major part of which took place through the subscription of share capital, would essentially place it outside the purview of the winding up proceedings. Accepting the claim would enable it to take away moneys overriding the order of priorities laid down by the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Rules.

The plea of wPl to receive pay-ments at the present stage would confer on it a preference and prior-ity which would be in the teeth of the statutory provisions contained in the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act. The liquidator shall evaluate the claim as determined by theverification reportby theCAGin terms of the priorities for the


payment of claims as envisaged in the Act and the associated rules. The liquidator is also directed to treat the amount outstanding to the EPFo in terms of the first prioritywhich iscreated by the provisions of S. 11(2) of the EPF Act. The liquidator shall also consider the claim of the Union Government. The contempt peti-tions were dismissed.

a PaRticulaR PRoviSion cannot be Picked uP and inteRPReted to defeat anotheR PRoviSion Made in that behalf undeR the Statute

This appeal in Managing Director, Chhattisgarh State Co-operative Bank Maryadit vs. Zila Sahkari Kendriya Bank Maryadit and others, 2020 (5) SCJ 569: (2020) 6 SCC 411: (2020) 3 MlJ 195: lNIND 2020 SC 185 arose from the judg-ment of a Division Bench of the High Court of Chhattisgarh which held that the appointment made by the appellant as the Chief Executive Officerof thefirst respondentbankanditssubsequentratificationbytheRegistrar of Co-operative Societies were without the authority of law. Consequently, the decision of the ap-pellant was held to be not binding on thefirstrespondent.Theappellantisthe apex body of co-operative banks intheStateofChhattisgarh.Thefirstrespondent is a District Central Co-operative Bank which is governed by the provisions of the Chhattisgarh Co-operative Societies Act, 1960.

S. 49-E of the Chhattisgarh Co-operative Societies Act, 1960 deals specifically with the appointmentof Managing Directors and CEos in certain circumstances. S. 49-E (1) deals with the appointment of the Managing Director of an apex society. Sub-section (2) deals with the appointment of the Managing Director (who shall be the CEo) of central societies. while introducing clauses (a) and (b) into sub-section (3) of S.54 by the 2016 Amendment Act, the legislature has nonetheless left intact the provisions of S.49-E.

S.49-E(2) stipulates that the CEo shall be appointed from among the officers of the cadre maintainedunder S.54, where such cadre has been constituted. S.49-E is a provi-sion governing apex and central societies to whom financial assis-tance has been extended by the State Government in the forms stipulated therein. The appointment of a CEo of central society governed by S.49-E(2)hastobefromtheofficersofthecadre maintained under S.54. Sig-nificantly,sub-section(2)ofS.49-Econtains a non-obstante stipulation. As a consequence, notwithstanding the 2016 Amendment Act, the CEo of a central society falling within the description of sub-section (2) of S. 49-E has to be appointed from among the officers of the cadremaintained under S. 54, if such cadre has been constituted. This is evident inthenotificationissuedbytheStateGovernment in exercise of the power conferred upon it which stipulated thatthefirstrespondent(asadistrictcentral co-operative bank) is obligat-edtoacceptandappoint theofficerdeputed by the appellant (as the apex society) as the CEo. The Court must ensure that neither provision in S. 49-E(2) nor Ss. 54(3)(a) and (b) is reduced to a dead letter of law.

The High Court was in error in holding that in the matter of an appointment of the CEo, the apex body or the central society has no power or role to play. In exercise of the power conferred by S. 54(3), the State Government issued a no-tificationspecifyingthatcentralco-operative banks were obligated to employofficers, according to theiravailability, only from the cadres created by the State co-operative bank. The seventh respondent is not anofficerfromthecadremaintainedby the appellant. Consequently, the action of the first respondentin seeking to appoint the seventh respondent as the CEo is not sus-tainable in law. The appointment of the sixth respondent as CEo was ratifiedbytheRegistrarofCo-oper-ative Societies and accepted by the

boardofthefirstrespondent.Resul-tantly, the appeal is allowed and the impugned judgment of the Division Bench is set aside. The order of the learned single Judge is restored for the aforesaid reasons.

chRonic defaulting MeMbeRS deSeRve exPulSion fRoM MeMbeRShiP

Khowab Housing Co-operative society was formed with the objec-tive to construct 48 flats for its 48members. The members of the society were required to deposit a sum of Rs.3.86 lakh each towards the cost of land, etc., which was de-posited by all the 48 members. After theconstructionoftheflats,thetotalcostofeachflatcametoRs.24lakhand all the members were required to deposit the said amount. All the members, except the six petition-ers,wereallottedtheflatsandhavedeposited the balance amount. Six petitioners had deposited only the initial amount of Rs.3.86 lakh each and nothing more. As the petition-ers failed to make the deposit, the society gave one last opportunity to the defaulting members to clear the dues, failing which they would be expelled from the society. Since the petitioners failed to deposit the required amount within the speci-fied time, the board of the societyexpelled the petitioners from the membership. when revision petition wasfiled,furthertimewasgrantedtothem, but they failed again to make payment. Consequently, the revi-sion petition stood dismissed. The High Court granted further oppor-tunity of one month’s time to them, when the petitioners challenged the dismissal of revision petition. Since no payment was forthcoming, the writ petitions were dismissed.

Aggrieved by the order of the High Court, the petitioners preferred SlP in the Supreme Court in SR Jalaluddin and others vs. The State of west Bengal and others, 2020 (7) SCAlE 124. The contention of the petitioners is that the cost of the


flats was arbitrarily enhanced andthat though, after the order of the High Court, some of the petitioners had deposited certain amount (not the demanded amount) directly in the bank account of the society, the same was returned to them. It was submitted by the society that the sixflatshavealreadybeenallottedto six other members, who all have deposited the requisite amount and have taken possession of their re-spectiveflats.

It is clear that besides the initial amount of Rs. 3.86 lakh, the petition-ers did not deposit any further amount and kept disputing the demands raised by the society. The order expelling the petitioners from the membership of the society was passed way back inMay,2015,whichwasaffirmedbythe Registrar, Co-operative Societies, west Bengal as well as the Principal Secretary to the State Government, and the writ petition filed by thepetitioners was also dismissed. on each occasion, the petitioners were granted time to deposit the balance amount, which they did not comply. They have not even complied with the order passed by the Court. After

the expiry of time granted by the Court to the petitioners to deposit the balance amount, the order of the society expelling the petitioners had come into effect and thereafter the six flatshavealreadybeenallottedtosixdifferent persons, who have deposited the requisite amounts. Such being the factual background, the prayers made by the appellants do not deserve to be granted.

SaRfaeSi act aPPlieS to co-oPeRative bankS

The quintessence of the whole issue centers around before the Constitu-tion Bench of the Supreme Court in Pandurang Ganpati Chaugule vs. Vishwasrao Patil Murgud Sahakari Bank ltd., (2020) 9 SCC 215: 2020 (7) SCAlE 250 is the scope of the legislativefieldcoveredbyEntry45of list I, viz., ‘Banking’ and Entry 32 of list II of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, conse-quently power of the Parliament to legislate. The central issue that has stemmed in these appeals is the applicability of Securitization and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Inter-

est Act, 2002 (hereinafter referred to by the acronym ‘SARFAESI Act’) to the co-operative banks.

The following substantial question of law and interpretation of enact-ment arose out of this judgment: (i) whether ‘co-operative banks’, which are also co-operative societ-ies, are governed by Entry 45 of list I or by Entry 32 of list II of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitu-tion of India, and to what extent?, (ii) whether ‘banking company’ as defined in S. 5(c) of the BR Actcovers co-operative banks registered under the State Co-operative laws and also multi-State co-operative societies?, (iii) whether co-oper-ative banks both at the State level and multi-State level are ‘banks’ for applicability of the SARFAESI Act?, and (iv) whether provisions of S. 2(c)(iva) of the SARFAESI Act on account of inclusion of multi-State co-operative banks and notificationdated28.1.2003notify-ing co-operative banks in the State are ultra vires?

Answering the questions, it was held that –


•Theco-operativebanksregisteredunder the State legislation and multi-State level co-operative societies registered under the MSCS Act with respect to ‘banking’ are governed by the legislation relatable to Entry 45 of list I of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution.

•Theco-operativebanksrunbytheco-operative societies registered under the State legislation with respect to the aspects of ‘incor-poration, regulation and winding up’, in particular, with respect to the matters which are outside the purview of Entry 45 of list I of the Seventh Schedule are governed by the said legislation relatable to Entry 32 of list II of the Seventh Schedule.

•The co-operative banks involvedin the activities related to banking are covered within the meaning of ‘BankingCompany’ defined underS. 5(c) read with S. 56(a) of the BR Act which is a legislation relatable to Entry 45 of list I. It governs the aspect of ‘banking’ of co-operative banks run by co-operative societies. The co-operative banks cannot carry on any activity without compliance of the provisions of the BR Act and any other legislation applicable to such banks relatable to ‘banking’ in Entry 45 of list I and the RBI Act relatable to Entry 38 of list I of the Seventh Schedule.

•Theco-operativebanksundertheState legislation and multi-State co-operative banks are ‘banks’ under S. 2(1)(c) of the SARFAESI Act. The recovery is an essen-tial part of banking; as such, the recovery procedure prescribed under S. 13 of the SARFAESI Act, a legislation relatable to Entry 45 of list I of the Seventh Schedule, is applicable.

• The Parliament has legislativecompetence under Entry 45 of list I of the Seventh Schedule to provide additional procedures for recovery under S. 13 of the SARFAESI Act

with respect of co-operative banks. The provisions of S. 2(1)(c)(iva) of the SARFAESI Act addition ‘ex abundanti cautela’ a multi-State co-operative bank is not ultra vires as well as the notification dated28.1.2003 issued with respect to the co-operative banks registered under the State legislation.

unneceSSaRy litigation initiated by the Revenue cauSed delayed juStice to ncdc

The National Co-operative Devel-opment Corporation (NCDC) was established under the National Co-operative Development Corporation Act, 1962 (NCDC Act) and it func-tions under S. 9 of the NCDC Act to propel loans or grant subsidies to the State Governments which is helpful in financing co-operativesocieties. It likewise provides loans and grants legitimately to both Na-tional level co-operative societies and State level co-operative societ-ies, the latter on the guarantee of State Governments. The funding to the NCDC comes by way of grants and loans received from the Central Government which is enshrined in S. 12 of the NCDC Act and for this the Corporation is mandatorily required to maintain a fund which is called the National Co-operative Development Fund under S. 13 of the Act, where all the awards and advances received from the Central Government is credited. Though NCDC is an intermediary or passes through entity, it is a distinct juridi-cal entity.

The issue which had arisen in Na-tional Co-operative Development Corporation vs. Commissioner of Income Tax, Delhi-V, Civil Appeal Nos.5105-5107 of 2009 dated 11.9.2020 was that whether the com-ponent of interest income earned on the funds received under S. 13(1) and disbursed by way of grants to National or State level co-operative societies is eligible for a deduction for determining the taxable income of the Corporation.

The Court is of the view that the grants made by the appellant-Corporation will undisputedly fall within its authorized business ac-tivities and the advancing of grants from the source of interest will be a revenue expense because it had not resulted in the acquisition of capital assets by any Corporation, therefore, the same will be adjustable under S. 37(1) of the IT Act. Though, the interest income arises on account of the funds received may not be uti-lized for a certain period but instead of lying idle, it is put in the fixeddeposits, and the income generated from it again applied to the disburse-ment of grants and loans.

The issue of dispute raised by the appellant-Corporation is related to the grants only and not to the loans because grants made on the interest generated would never come back and hence the same is adjustable against the business expenses. Ad-ditionally, the purpose for which this Corporation has been established is to provide financial support to theState Government and co-operative societies by way of providing loans or grants. This very nature of act comes under the business activity and the income generated in the form of interest on the unutilized capital is the nature of business income.

The Apex Court concluded that it was unable to agree with the find-ings arrived at by the Ao, ITAT and the High Court albeit for different reasons and concur with the view taken by the CIT (A). It is left to the Court to strike the final blow andallow the appeals, while noticing with regret the inordinately long passage of time and the wastage of judicial time on deciding who is principally right when in either eventuality it benefits the Central Government.The anguish of the Court is aptly ex-pressed in the prologue of the judg-ment in the following words: which pocket of the Government should be enriched has taken forty-four (44) years to decide – a classic case of what ought not to be!


rhu —f’k dkuwuksa ij gaxkek cjik gSA laln esa cgqer ls ikfjr bu dkuwuksa dk fojks/k dj fdlku usrkvksa us vkanksyu dk u;k bfrgkl jp fn;kA fdlku vkanksyu dh vkM+ esa dsaæ ljdkj dks ?ksjus ds fy, foi{k dks egRoiw.kZ jktuSfrd vL= feyk gSA fygktk foi{k dk dksbZ usrk ekSdk xaokus dks rS;kj ugha gSA

jktuSfrd nyksa us vkanksyudkfj;ksa ds ihB ihNs [kM+s gksdj lM+d dks laln ls T;knk egRoiw.kZ cuk fn;k gSA yksdra= esa ;g fnypLi fLFkfr gSA lÙkk esa jgrs gq, tks djks] foi{k esa vkrs gh mldk fojks/k “kq# dj nksA jktusrkvksa ds çksRlkgu ij Hkh’k.k egkekjh ds Hk; vkSj dM+kds dh BaM ds chp gtkjksa fdlkuksa us rhu rjQ ls fnYyh dks ?ksj fy;k gSA ekSle o vU; otgksa ls /kjuk LFky ij lkB ls T;knk fdlkuksa ds fu/ku dh nq[knk;h [kcj us dsaæ ljdkj dh Nfo dks gB/kehZ cuk j[kk gSA tksj vktekbZ”k ds chp fdlkuksa us dsaæ ljdkj ds nkarks yksgs ds pus pcok j[kk gSA

iatkc ls pys fdlkuksa us gfj;k.kk]jktLFkku vkSj if”peh mÙkj çns”k ds usrkvksa dk lkFk ysdj jkt/kkuh fnYyh ços”k ds rhu egRoiw.kZ }kj fla/kq cksMZj] fVdjh cksMZj vkSj xkthiqj cksMZj ds jkLrs iwjh rjg ls tke dj fn;k gSA vkS|ksfxd fV~ou flVh xqM+xkao vkSj uks,Mk ls fnYyh vkuk tkuk nqxZe gSA eq[;ea=h ;ksxh vkfnR;ukFk vkSj euksgj [kêj ljdkj dh l[r Nfo vkanksyudkfj;ksa ds bjkns ij ikuh Qsjus esa foQy jgh gSA jkt/kkuh dh lhek ij cSBdj fdlku usrk fur u, usjsfVo x< jgs gSaA bosaV eSustesaV okyksa dh pkanh dV jgh gSA lk<s Ng lky esa igyh ckj ç/kkuea=h ujsUæ eksnh dh Nfo dks MsaV djus dh çHkkoh dksf”k”k gksrh utj vk jgh gSA [kqn

dks jk’Vªh; Hkkouk ls vksrçksr crkus okyh ljdkj ij dksjiksjsV txr ds fgriks’kd gksus dk bYtke ljklj e<rk tk jgk gSA foKku Hkou dh cSBdksa esa fdlku usrkvksa dh ftn ds vkxs dsaæh; ea=h ykpkj utj vkrs gSasA ljdkj dh vksj ls ckjackj —f’k lq/kkj dkuwu dks —f’k ls vkenuh dks nksxquh djus ds vfHk;ku dk fgLlk crkus dh dksf”k”k foQy gksrh jgh gSA fdlku usrk ,dLoj esa ,e,lih dks dkuwuh ntkZ nsus vkSj laln ls ikfjr dkuwu dks [kRe djus dh ekax ij MVs gSaA

vkanksyudkfj;ksa ls laokn esa ljdkj dks fujarj eqf”dyksa ls nks pkj gksuk iM+k gSA bl fodV ?kM+h esa f”kír ls etcwr laokn lw= dh deh eglwl dh tk jgh gSA ljdkj ds fy, lgdkjh usrk çHkkoh laokn lw= cu ldrs Fks ysfdu detksj gksrs

lgdkjh vkanksyu ds chp ls vkt bdcky okyk ,d Hkh ,sls usrk dk psgjk utj ugha vk jgk ftldh vkokt ij fdlku ljdkj dh ckr lquus rd dks jkth gks ikrsA

jk’Vªh; jkt/kkuh fnYyh dks fdlkuksa dh ?ksjkcanh ls cpus ds fy, dsaæ ljdkj us “kq# ls tks Hkh pky pyh] vkanksyu dh ckjhfd;ksa ls okfdQ oke i`’BHkwfe ds usrkvksa us lQy ugha gksus fn;kA ljdkj fnYyh vk jgs fdlkuksa dks ckrphr ds fy, cqjkM+h ds foLr`r eSnku esa cqykuk pkgrh Fkh] ysfdu ,slk gks u ldkA

dsaæ ljdkj dks bl eqf”dy ?kM+h ls mckjus esa lgdkjh usrk dke vk ldrs FksA bl vkM+s oä ij lgdkjh usrkvksa ds vlj ds vHkko dh ckr ljdkj dks t#j ;kn vkbZ gksxhA lgdkfjrk ls tqM+s yksx mEehnoku

lgdkfjrk gS fdlku vkanksyu dk funku

vkyksd dqekj*

* ofj’B i=dkj


gSa fd eqf”dy ls mcjus ds ckn lgdkjh vkanksyu ls tqM+h dfe;ksa dks nwj djus dk ç;kl fd;k tk,xkA lkS lky ls T;knk iqjkuh lgdkfjrk chrs “krkCnh ds vkf[kjh n”kd rd Hkkjrh; —f’k dk egRoiw.kZ Vwy jgh gSA ysfdu vkjksi gS fd fdlku lewgksa dh ckxMksj mn~eeh lgdkjh usrkvksa ds gkFkksa esa jgh ysfdu ljdkjh enn ls d‚iksjsV txr dks çksRlkgu nsus ds pDdj esa lgdkfjrk fujarj ihNs NwVrh tk jgh gSA rRdkyhu foÙk ea=h ih fpancje us 1996 dh ctV esa lgdkjh miØeksa dks VSDl NwV ds nk;js ls nwj dj fn;kA tehuh Lrj ij bldk dkQh fojks/k gqvkA ysfdu foxr iPphl lkyksa ls VSDl NwV dh O;oLFkk dks iquZcgky djus dh ckr dks ,su dsu çdkjsu Vkyk tkrk jgk gSA bruk gh ugha] lgdkjh vkanksyu dks ijoku p<kus ds fy, 2012 esa laln us loZlEefr ls 97 oka lafo/kku la”kks/ku ikfjr fd;kA blds rgr lgdkfjrk dks vke Hkkjrh;ksa ds ekSfyd vf/kdkj cukus dh ckr gSA ysfdu xgjh lkft”k ds rgr bl vfHk;ku dks fØ;kfUor gksus ls jksd fy;k x;kA ;g dkuwu vkt ukS lky ckn Hkh ykxw gksus ds fy, lqçhe dksVZ dh ngyht ij lquokbZ ds bartkj esa cSBk iM+k gSA vktknh ds ckn ls gh ns”k dh —f’k lgdkjh O;oLFkk ds rgr iYyfor iqf’’kr gksrh jgh gSA Hkkjr dks fodkl dk ia[k yxkus okyh gfjr Økafr] nqX/k Økafr o moZjd Økafr “kq#vkr ls gh lgdkfjrk ds ewyHkwr fl)kar ij vk/kkfjr jgh gSA lgdkfjrk pykus okys ges”kk ls [kqn dks ljdkj dk fgLlk ekurs jgs gaSA muls ljdkj ds eqyktksa dk fujarj laokn cuk jgrk gSA tkfgj rkSj ij lgdkjh usrkvksa dks fu:Nan fdlku usrkvksa dh rqyuk esa le>kuk cq>kuk ges”kk ls vklku jgrkA —f’k vkanksyu dh fodjkyrk dk urhtk gS fd usjsfVo x<us esa ekfgj usrkvksa us ,d iwjh dkSe dks dsaæ

ljdkj ds f[kykQ [kM+k dj fn;k gSA cM+h pkykdh ls —f’k dkuwuksa ds tfj, ljdkj ij fdlkuksa dh rqyuk esa dkjiksjsV txr ds fgriks’kd gksus dk bYtke x< fn;k x;k gSA bl bYtke dks lgdkjh usrk çHkkoh fMVjtsaV ls /kksus esa l{ke FksA ysfdu vkanksyu ds eSnku esa ,d Hkh lgdkjh usrk utj ugha vkrkA fojks/k dh ckxMksj ekvksoknh i`’BHkwfe ds fdlku usrk M‚-n”kZuiky] iwoZ lhih,e lkaln gkth gUuku ekSyk] ;ksxsaæ ;kno tSlksa ds gkFk esa gSA muds “kksj vkSj gaxkes ds chp dsaæh; ea=h ujsUæ flag rksej vkSj ih;w’k xks;y dh vksj ls —f’k lq/kkj dkuwu ds fdlku fgriks’kd dh ckr crkus dh dksf”k”k dks nck;k tkuk ykfteh gSA vkanksyu ls flQZ fnYyh dks gh eqlhcr ugha gS] cfYd iatkc esa fjyka;l eksckby ds VkolZ vkSj LVkslZ dks O;kid uqdlku igqapkus dh [kcj [krjukd gSA ;g vjktdrk QSykus dh ckgjh lkft”k dk fgLlk gks ldrk gSA blls cpus ds fy, çeq[k vkS|ksfxd ?kjkus fjyka;l o vMkuh xzqi dks fdlkuksa ds gd esa lkoZtfud vihy djuh iM+hA uqdlku dks jksdus ds fy, mPp U;k;ky; dh “kj.k esa tkuk iM+kA vnkyr esa iatkc ljdkj dks d‚jiksjsV ?kjkuksa ds fcØh dsaæksa dks cpkus ds fy, lqj{kk cyksa dks mrkjus dk Hkjkslk nsuk iM+kA

lgdkjh usrkvksa dh jk; gS fd fdlkuksa ls laokn djus esa vk jgs fnDdr dh cM+h otg lgdkjh vkanksyu dh f”kfFkyrk gSA vxj —f’k lq/kkj dks xfr nsus esa lgdkjh laLFkkvksa dks rkdroj vkStkj cuk;k x;k gksrk] rks lwjrsgky vyx gksrhA ;g fdlku vkanksyu ljdkj ls csgrj laokn djus esa l{ke lgdkjh usrkvksa dh xSjekStwnxh dh otg ls eqf”dy dk lcc cuk jgkA gky ds fnuksa esa —f’k mRiknd lewg ¼,Qihvks½ dk pyu tksj ij gSA

ukckMZ vkSj ,u,lMhlh tSlh ljdkjh laLFkkvksa us ,Qihvks [kM+k djus dk vfHk;ku pyk j[kk gSA bls —f’k mRiknu esa yxh iqjkru lgdkjh O;oLFkk ds lkekukarj [kM+k fd;k tk jgk gSA ,Qihvks —f’k dks d‚jiksjsV dYpj ds djhc ys tkrh gS] tcfd xzkeh.k ifjos”k vk/kkfjr Hkkjrh; —f’k lgdkjh miØe dk fgLlk ekuh tkrh jgh gSA ;gh otg gS fd fodV >a>korksa ds chp Hkh ns”k esa vkB yk[k ls T;knk lgdkjh laLFkk,a dke dj jgh gSaA blls rhl djksM+ ls T;knk Hkkjrh; vkthfodk dk fuoZgu dj jgs gSaA lgdkjh i’BHkwfe ls vkus okys —’kd usrk ljdkj ds csgrj laokn djus dh fLFkfr esa gksrs gSa] D;ksafd çR;sd lgdkjh laLFkk ljdkj ds lgdkfjrk foHkkx esa fucaf/kr gksrh gSA muds lapkyu ds fuxjkuh dh ckxMksj ljdkjh jftLVªkj ds ikl gksrk gSA fnypLi gS fd —f’k lq/kkj ds dkuwuksa dks ftu jktuhfrd nyksa us dqN ekg igys Lokxr fd;k Fkk] vkanksyu ds tksj iM+us ds lkFk gh oks ikyk cnydj fojks/k esa [kM+s gks x,A tc ;wih, dh ljdkj Fkh rks og ,sls fdlh dkuwu lq/kkj dh cM+h fgek;rh FkhA dsaæ ljdkj dh fdjfdjh dk vkuan mBkus esa dksbZ Hkh foi{kh usrk ihNs ugha gSA vkanksyudfeZ;ksa ds leFkZu esa c;ku tkjh dj jgs iwoZ —f’k ea=h “kjn iokj dsaæ ljdkj dks dkuwu Vkyus dk lq>ko ns jgs gSaA fnYyh esa vke vkneh ikVhZ dh ljdkj dsaæ dh vksj ls ykxw dkuwu dks lcls igys ykxw djus okyh çeq[k ljdkjksa esa “kkfey FkhA ysfdu fojks/k dh vuqxwat esa “kkfey gksus dk vkuan ysus ds fy, fnYyh ds eq[;ea=h vjfoUn dstjhoky us vkuuQkuu esa fo/kkulHkk dk l= cqykdj dsaæh; —f’k lq/kkj fcy dks lnu dh iVy ij QkM+++dj Qsadus dk Lokax jpkuk ilan fd;kA ns”k dh 65 Qhlnh ls vf/kd vkcknh


vkt Hkh —f’k ij fuHkZj g]S fdarq mudk dksbZ laxBu ugha gSA lgdkfjrk ds lgkjs [kM+h gksus okyh —f’k O;oLFkk ds chp igys çHkkoh lgdkjh usrk gqvk djrs Fks] ysfdu oä dh ekj us muds bdcky dks /kjk”kk;h djus dk gh dke fd;k gSA dsaæ ljdkj dh jk; gS fd mlus ,d ns”k ,d cktkj dk jkLrk [kksy dj fdlkuksa ds lkjs ca/ku [kRe dj fn;s gSaA 65 lky iqjkus vko”;d oLrq vf/kfu;e esa la”kks/ku vkSj vukt] nkyksa] [kk| rsy] I;kt] vkyw dks vko”;d oLrqvksa dh lwph ls gVkus ds lkFk&lkFk iês dh [ksrh dh O;oLFkk ds Hkh }kj [kksy fn;s x;s gSaA ljdkj us ,d v/;kns”k ls —f’k {ks= vkSj fdlkuksa dks iqjkuh csfM;ksa ls eqä dj [kqyk vkdk”k ns fn;k gSA —f’k {ks= esa dkuwuh lq/kkj us

fdlkuksa dh yacs le; ls vVdh xkM+h dks ,d >Vds esa iVjh ij yk fn;k gSA blls fdlku vc dHkh Hkh vkSj dgha Hkh viuh mit csfQØ gksdj ys tkus vkSj cspus ds fy, Lora= gks x;k gSA vHkh rd fdlku jkT;ksa ds ,xzhdYpjy çksMîw”k ekdsZfVax desVh ,DV ds nk;js esa vkrs FksA mlh dkuwu ds rgr fdlku viuh mit fuf”pr eaMh ds ykblsal/kkjh vk<+rh dks cspus ds fy, ck/; gksrk jgk gSA vc —f’k mit ds varjjkT;h; dkjksckj djus dh NwV fey xbZ gSA

rY[k fojks/k dh ,d otg —f’k eafM;ksa ij LFkkuh; usrkvksa dk dCtk gSA blls vkgr LFkkuh; usrkvksa] eaMh ds vk<+fr;ksa] dkjksckfj;ksa vkSj nykyksa dks ;g lq/kkj ilan ugh vk jgk gSA

fdlku laxBu igys u, —f’k dkuwuksa esa dqN cnyko vkSj U;wure leFkZu ewY; ;kuh ,e,lih dh O;oLFkk dks lq–<+ djus dh ekax dj jgs FksA ysfdu ykHkkfUorksa ds etcwr “kg vkSj leFkZu ij ljdkj ls ckrphr ds ckn os rhuksa u, —f’k dkuwuksa dks jn fd;k tkus ij vM+ x,A dsaæ ljdkj ds fy, laln ls ikfjr dkuwu dks /kjuk&çn”kZu ds ncko esa jí djus dk eryc bdcky xaok cSBuk gSA ncko esa ,dckj ljdkj dksbZ dkuwu jí djrh gS] rks th,lVh] lh,, vkfn dbZ u, o Hkkoh dkuwuksa dks jí djus dk varghu flyflyk “kq# gksus dk [krjk gSA ,sls esa mi;qä gS fd fdlkuksa ds chp ls gh ljdkjh le> dks Bhd ls vfHkO;ä djus okys usrk [kM+s gksaA

The NCCE of NCUI organized a 3-day online leadership Development Program, 2020

for labour cooperatives through webex meetings. Given the inabil-ity of labour co-ops to take off in real terms, such training will go a long way.

The lDP was conducted with the support of National labour Coop-erative Federation of India — the apex body of labour co-op societies and unions engaged in the develop-ment of labour and worker coopera-tives in India.

The lDP was attended by 35 par-ticipants who mostly came from Rajasthan and Maharashtra. The latter boasts the strongest labour co-op movement in the country.

The objective was to orient par-ticipants on the Cooperative Values and Principles, Cooperative Management and its legal norms and Economy Revival Packages for labour cooperatives in the post

CoVID era, said a press release issued by NCUI.

The lDP was stimulatory and infor-mative to improve the effective man-agement of labour co-ops through capacity building, governance skills build up and professional manage-ment skills.

The focus of lDP was also on creat-ing awareness on the Atamnirbhar Bharat schemes, developing profes-sional capabilities, understanding governance roles, implementation of business development plans & tech-niques, and usefulness of accounts for improving labour coops.

These training sessions were taken up by eminent experts, faculties, and professionals. Discussions were held on how the poor people, especially casual low paid and landless workers could be equipped with technical and professional capabilities.

There were also discussions on the need to develop proper investment

programs and various schemes through an active participation of people, cooperative banks and in-stitutions. one of the speakers un-derlined the importance of labour coops,redefiningtheirsystemsandstrategies in the changing global scenario.

Some speakers also dealt with how Atamnirbhar Bharat could go a long way in effecting transformation and initiation of welfare measures. Experts stressed on the need for em-ployment generation, social security, food security, and health care.

Social responsibility of cooperatives in the changed context was also de-liberated upon. Most speakers laid emphasis on providing valuable training inputs on cooperative ide-ologies and practices of the labour coops so as to generate internal re-sources and pooling human efforts for equipping skilled, semiskilled, unskilled labour and ordinary workers with capabilities to develop their own economic enterprises n

ldp for laboUr coops


NEWSgcmmf to spend 1,200 crore to expand capacityIn order to meet the rising demand, milk processing fa-cilities would be set up in Rajkot, Gujarat and Kolkata.

In addition to its stronghold in Gujarat, Dairy Giant Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation ltd (GCMMF), which markets Amul food brand, has made fresh investments to expand capability in major markets like Kolkata and Andhra Pradesh. In the next two years, the Federation is expected to spend over 1,200 crore in additional milk processing and value-addition capabili-ties in these areas.

of the said investments, GCMMF will spend approxi-mately 250 crore for a 10 lakh litres per day (llPD) processing facility in Kolkata, while it has scheduled approximately 450-500 crore investments for a milk processing facility in Rajkot, Saurashtra.

In North Gujarat, with investments of around 600 crore, it is setting up additional manufacturing capabilities for dairy products. New investments will be made in Rajkot and Banaskantha in Gujarat and Kolkata to increase additional capacity for milk processing as demand for packaged branded dairy products rise.

ncdc ties up with s-vYasa to set up yoga centres across country

National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) has joined hands with Bangaluru-based Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (S-VYASA) university to inculcate habit of yoga among people by helping cooperatives to set up yoga wellness centres and naturopathy facilities across the country.

The move comes two months after the NCDC under the Union Agriculture Minister launched Ayushman Sahakar, a scheme aiming to involve co-operatives in creating healthcare infrastructure that include wellness centres, Ayush, homoeopathy, drug manufacturing, drug testing, Ayurveda massage centres, and drug stores, besides medical education initiatives.

while S-VYASA will provide technical help, the NCDC will make available working capital and margin money to meet operational requirements to the interested coop-eratives for setting yoga wellness centres.

Speaking after the pact was inked online, Union Min-ister for AYUSH, Shripad Yesso Nayak said that the

initiative would benefit people in the rural areas. Hesaid his Ministry supports such initiatives aimed at strengthening efforts in Indian health systems, includ-ing yoga, a global movement.

Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister of State for Agri-culture felt that a new dimension has been added by NCDC to expand the welfare programmes for farmers under the NCDC Ayushman Sahakar scheme. He hoped that yoga wellness centres would make a good business model for cooperatives to strengthen the healthcare de-livery system in rural areas.

Sundeep Nayak, MD of NCDC said that the Ayushman Sahakar scheme with an outlay of Rs.10,000 crore aims at extending financial support to cooperatives. “Thescheme has a comprehensive and holistic approach to financehealthcareinfrastructureandservices.Itcovershospitals, healthcare infrastructure, medical education, nursing education, paramedical education, drugs manu-facturing, digital health, laboratory services, health insurance and Indian traditional medical systems like Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Ho-meopathy,” he informed.

rajasthan to amend laws to punish fraudulent credit cooperativesRajasthan government will amend relevant laws to enable effective action against credit cooperative soci-eties in the state found duping investors. Chief minister AshokGehlothasaskedofficials tobringappropriateamendments to ensure punishment to criminals and protect investors’ hard earned money.

The CM has instructed special operation group (SoG) and cooperative department to take effective action against the culprits to prevent a repeat of incidents of cheating and corruption in the functioning of cooperative societies. He saidhome,cooperative,financeandotherrelateddepart-ments should develop a system in the state that discourages unregulated (irregular) deposit schemes, thereby putting an end to money-grab schemes run by illegal societies promising high interest rates. He also asked for running an awareness campaign to educate people

haryana directs registered coop societies to upload records on website

Haryana government has directed all registered coop-erative societies to upload their records on a web portal to ensure transparency in operations and facilitate commonpeople,anofficialsaidrecently.“Strictactionwill be taken against the societies which fail to comply with the directions,” additional chief secretary, coopera-tion department, Sanjeev Kaushal said.

The process of uploading data of all cooperative group housing societies and cooperative house building so-cieties, which number around 1,200, is underway, he


said. Data of about 400 such societies has already been uploaded on rcsharyana.gov.in, he added.

The availability of data online would not only bring more transparency in operations, but would also help in resolving disputes. It would also facilitate common peoplewantingtobuyorrentaplotorflatintheseso-cieties as they would be able to access all basic details about the societies through the portal.

govt discusses ways to improve livelihood of dairy farmers Union Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Min-ister Giriraj Singh discussed ways to improve livelihood of dairy farmers through different innovative busi-ness models with the NDDB and dairy cooperatives. Besides National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), representatives of Gujarat Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) and Kaira District Cooperative Milk Pro-ducers’ Union were present in the meeting held recently at Anand, Gujarat.

“Dairying in India is more about livelihoods to mil-lions of farmers than simply a business. Milk is also India’s single largest agricultural commodity in value terms and is more than the combined value of paddy and wheat put together,” a statement said quoting the minister having said during discussion. To achieve the target of doubling farmers’ income, the NDDB is pro-moting technology-driven income generating activities for the dairy farmers, he said.

“Motivating and involving dairy farmers in multiple streams of income through diverse alternative ac-

tivities targeted at their livelihood diversification isimportant for building their economic resilience and welfare,” he noted.

Training programme for officials of dairy cooperative federation National Cooperative Development Corporation, New Delhi, lINAC organized on online training programme on “Extension and Guiding Skills for Milch Animal De-velopment”forfieldofficialsofTelanganaStateDairyDevelopment Cooperative Federation ltd from 7 to 9 December, 2020. The programme organized through Zoom App deliberated on technical, administrative and managerial aspects.

In line with the above programme, Telangana State Cooperative Union ltd, Hyderabad also arranged a training programme for these field officers in col-laboration with NCDC lINAC on “Cooperative Principles, laws, Rules and Regulations” which was attended by 27 people. Provisions of Telangana Cooperative Societies Act, 1964 applicable to dairy cooperatives were discussed in detail. The process of registration of dairy cooperative society and key aspects of management of dairy cooperative were also discussed.

health check-up campA free skin care and general health check-up camp was organized recently in the premise of Delhi Health Care Co-op Society Medical Store at Main Mandoli Road, Ram Nagar Extension opposite Dr Ambedkar Gate Shahdara, Delhi n

Theelectionswererecentlyheldfortheoffice-bearersofNCUIEmployees’WelfareAssociation.Followingpeoplewereelectedunanimously.

1. Shri Ashish Dwivedi, President, 2. Shri Ved Prakash, Vice-President3. Shri Uday Thakur, Vice President 4. Shri Ritesh Dey, General Secretary5. Shri Ramesh Chandra Pandey - Jt Secretary 6. Shri Neeraj Thapliyal - Treasurer7. Ms Sandhya Kapoor, Executive Member 8. Shri Narender Singh, Executive Member9. Shri John, Executive Member 10. Shri laxman Prasad, Executive Member

Atameetingheldaftertheelections,theelectedoffice–bearersexpressedhappinessoverbeingelectedunanimouslyandassuredthat they would seek redressal of all the grievances of the employees.

elecTions held for ncUi emploYees’ welfare associaTion

Vol. 58 No. 7 January 2021 · 2021. 1. 22. · ToTal PaGES 36 JANUARY 2021 The Cooperator 3 The...

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Transcript of Vol. 58 No. 7 January 2021 · 2021. 1. 22. · ToTal PaGES 36 JANUARY 2021 The Cooperator 3 The...