Lok Sabha Question No. 3481 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-17
Subject: Revitalization of Cooperative Sector
Ministry: COOPERATION
Asked by: Shri Anurag Sharma, Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab, Shri Tapir Gao

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COOPERATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3481

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 17 th  DECEMBER, 2024

## Revitalization of Cooperative Sector

## 3481. Shri Anurag Sharma:

Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab:

Shri Tapir Gao:

Will the Minister of Cooperation ( सहकारिता मंत्री ) be pleased to state:

- (a) the initiatives that the Government has undertaken to revitalize the cooperative sector in the country;
- (b) the  extent  to  which  these  measures  contributed  to  the  growth  and  modernization  of cooperatives;
- (c) the role that India is playing at the international level in promoting and strengthening the cooperative movement; and
- (d) the  details  of  specific  collaborations,  agreements,  or  success  stories  that  highlight India's contributions in this regard?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF COOPERATION सहकारिता मंत्री (SHRI AMIT SHAH)

- (a) and (b): The  Government  has  taken  several  initiatives  including  the  following,  to revitalize the cooperative sector in the country:
1. Model Bye-Laws for PACS which enable them to undertake more than 25 business activities, improve governance, transparency and accountability in their operations. So far, 32 States/ UTs have adopted Model Byelaws or their existing byelaws are in line with Model Byelaws.
2. Computerization of PACS which entails bringing all functional PACS in the Country onto  a  common  ERP  based  national  software,  linking  them  with  NABARD  through StCBs  and  DCCBs.  This  initiative  helps  in  improving  the  operational  efficiency  of PACS,  ensuring  speedy  disbursal  of  loans,  lowering  of  transaction  costs,  increasing transparency  and  increasing  farmers'  trustworthiness  in  PACS  operations.  A  total  of 67,930 PACS from 30 States/ UTs have been sanctioned under the project. A total of 40,727 PACS have been onboarded on ERP Software and hardware has been procured by 29 States/UTs.
3. The  World's  Largest  Grain  Storage  Plan  in  Cooperative  Sector which  entails creation  of  decentralized  storage  facilities  at  PACS  level,  along  with  other  agriinfrastructure  such  as  processing  units,  custom  hiring  centre,  etc.  thus  helping  in reducing crop losses and providing farmers with market linkages, thus enabling them

to realize better prices for their produce. Under the Pilot of this project, godowns were constructed at 11 PACS of 11 States.

4. PACS functioning  as  Common  Service  Centers  (CSCs) enables  PACS  to  provide more  than  300  e-services  of  CSCs  such  as  banking,  insurance,  Aadhar  enrolment/ updation, health services, PAN card and IRCTC/ Bus/ Air ticket, etc. in rural areas. More than 40,000 PACS from 33 States/ UTs have started providing CSC services.

The  details  of  other  initiatives  taken  by  the  Government  in  this  regard  are  enclosed  at Annexure .

(c) and (d): The establishment of the Ministry of Cooperation reflects India's commitment to advancing the cooperative agenda in the country as well as at the world stage.

Government has established a new apex multi-state cooperative export society under the MSCS Act, 2002, namely National Cooperative Export Limited (NCEL) as an umbrella organization to give thrust to exports from cooperative sector. The creation NCEL facilitates global market access for Indian cooperatives.

Further, organizations like VAMNICOM (Vaikunth Mehta National Institute of Cooperative Management) and CICTAB (Centre for International Cooperation and Training in Agricultural Banking), conduct training programs, facilitate international exchanges and showcase India's cooperative success stories.

VAMNICOM  organizes  multiple  international  training  programs  annually  for  CICTAB member  institutions  in  SAARC  countries,  covering  critical  areas  such  as  cooperative governance, agri-business models, and financial management. It has also conducted specialized programs for African-Asian Rural Development Organization (AARDO) member countries, emphasizing cooperative models and governance practices. Additionally, VAMNICOM hosted a delegation of 42 representatives from Honduras to exchange knowledge and experiences, further solidifying India's role as a global cooperative leader.

CICTAB,  promoted  by  the  Government  of  India,  has  conducted  46  international  training programs over the last two years, training more than 1,500 participants from countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and African nations. These programs focus on fields such as, rural  financing,  project  development,  digital  innovation  and  governance,  reflecting  India's commitment to advancing the global cooperative ecosystem.

India's  efforts  are  supported  by  collaborations  and  agreements,  through  MoUs  signed  by VAMNICOM with Mauritius, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia for joint training, research, and faculty/student  exchanges.  Further,  International  Cooperative  Alliance  (ICA)  and  Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) in coordination with Ministry of Cooperation, organized the 'ICA General Assembly and Global Conference' from 25 th  November, 2024 to 30 th November, 2024 at New Delhi, wherein the United Nations (UN) International Year of Cooperative 2025 was also launched.

Through  these  initiatives,  India  demonstrates  its  commitment  to  building  a  robust  and sustainable global cooperative movement.

## Progress on major initiatives taken by Ministry of Cooperation

Ministry of Cooperation, since its inception on 6 th July, 2021, has undertaken several initiatives to realize the vision of 'Sahakar-se-Samriddhi' and to strengthen & deepen the cooperative movement from Primary to Apex level Cooperatives in the country. List of initiatives taken and progress made so far are as follows:

## A. Making Primary Cooperatives economically vibrant and transparent

1. Model  Bye-Laws  for  PACS  making  them  multipurpose,  multidimensional  and transparent entities : Government, in consultation with all the stakeholders, including States/  UTs,  National  Level  Federations,  State  Cooperative  Banks  (StCBs),  District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs), etc., has prepared and circulated Model Byelaws for PACS to all the States/ UTs, which enable PACS to undertake more than 25 business activities,  improve  governance,  transparency  and  accountability  in  their  operations. Provisions have also been made to make the membership of PACS more inclusive and broad-based, giving adequate representation to women and Scheduled Castes/Schedules Tribes. So far, 32 States/ UTs have adopted Model Byelaws or their existing byelaws are in line with Model Byelaws.
5. Strengthening of PACS through Computerization :  In order to strengthen PACS, project for Computerization of functional PACS with a total financial outlay of ₹2,516 Crore has been approved by the Government of India, which entails bringing all functional PACS in the Country onto a common ERP based national software, linking them with NABARD through  StCBs  and  DCCBs.  A  total  of  67,930  PACS  from  30  States/  UTs  have  been sanctioned  under  the  project.  A  total  of  40,727  PACS  have  been  onboarded  on  ERP Software and hardware has been procured by 29 States/UTs.
6. Establishing  New  Multipurpose  PACS/  Dairy/  Fishery  Cooperatives  in  uncovered Panchayats : The Government of India has approved the plan to establish new multipurpose PACS/dairy/fisheries  cooperatives,  aiming  to  cover  all  panchayats  and  villages  in  the country over the next five years. This initiative is supported by NABARD, NDDB, NFDB and State/UT Governments. For effective implementation of the initiative, 'Margadarshika' has been launched on 19.9.2024, indicating the targets and timelines for stakeholders. As per  National  Cooperative  Database,  a  total  of  8,823  new  PACS,  Dairy  and  Fishery Cooperative Societies have been registered across the country since the approval of the plan on 15.2.2023.
7. World's Largest Decentralized Grain Storage Plan in Cooperative sector : Government has approved a plan to create warehouses, custom hiring centers, primary processing units and  other  agri  infrastructure  for  grain  storage  at  PACS  level,  through  convergence  of various  GOI  schemes,  including  AIF,  AMI,  SMAM,  PMFME,  etc.  This  will  reduce wastage of food grains and transportation costs, enable farmers to realize better prices for their produce and meet various agricultural needs at the PACS level itself. Under the pilot project, construction of godowns in 11 PACS of 11 States has been completed.
8. PACS as Common Service Centers (CSCs) for better access to e-services : An MoU has been signed between Ministry of Cooperation, MeitY, NABARD and CSC e-Governance Services India Limited for providing more than 300 e-services such as banking, insurance,

Aadhar enrolment/ updation, health services, PAN card and IRCTC/ Bus/ Air ticket, etc. through PACS. So far, 40,214 PACS have started providing CSC services to rural citizens.

9. Formation of new Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) by PACS : Government has allowed 1,100 additional FPOs to be formed by PACS with the support of NCDC, in those blocks where FPOs have not yet been formed or the blocks are not covered by any other implementing agency. Apart from this, 1,207 FPOs have been formed in the cooperative sector by NCDC. This will be helpful in providing farmers with necessary market linkages and get fair and remunerative prices for their produce.
10. PACS given priority for Retail Petrol/ Diesel outlets : Government has allowed PACS to be included in the Combined Category 2 (CC2) for allotment of retail petrol/ diesel outlets. As per information received from Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), 286 PACS from 25 States/UTs have applied online for retail petrol/ diesel outlets.
11. PACS given permission to convert bulk consumer petrol pumps into retail outlets : The  existing  bulk  consumer  licensee  PACS  have  been  given  a  one-time  option  by  Oil Marketing Companies to convert into retail outlets. As per information shared by OMCs, 109  wholesale  consumer  pump  licensee  PACS  from  4  States  have  given  consent  for conversion into Retail Outlets, out of which 45 PACS have received Letter of Intent (LOI) from the OMCs.
12. PACS eligible for LPG Distributorship for diversifying its activities : Government has now allowed PACS to apply for LPG Distributorships. This will give PACS an option to increase their economic activities and diversify their income stream.
13. PACS  as  PM  Bharatiya  Jan  Aushadhi  Kendra  for  improving  access  to  generic medicines at rural level : PACS have been allowed to operate Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs), which will provide additional income source to them and ease  the  access  to  quality  generic  medicines  for  rural  citizens.  So  far,  4,470  PACS/ cooperative societies have applied online for PMBJKs, out of which 2,705 PACS have been given initial approval by Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI) and 755 PACS have received drug license from State Drug Controllers which are ready to function as PM Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras.
14. PACS as Pradhan Mantri  Kisan  Samriddhi  Kendras  (PMKSK): PACS have  been enabled to operate PMKSK for ensuring easy accessibility of fertilizer & related services to farmers in the country. As per the information shared by Department of Fertilizers (GOI) and States/ UTs, a total of 36,180 PACS are functioning as PMKSK.
15. PACS to carry out O&M of rural piped water supply schemes (PWS) : PACS have been made eligible to carry out the Operations & Maintenance (O&M) of PWS in rural areas. As per information received from States/ UTs, 1,227 PACS have been identified/ selected by 13 States/ UTs to provide O&M services at Panchayat/ Village level.
16. Convergence of PM-KUSUM at PACS level : Farmers associated with PACS can adopt solar agricultural water pumps and install photovoltaic modules in their farms.
17. Micro-ATMs to Bank Mitra Cooperative Societies for providing doorstep financial services : Dairy and Fisheries cooperative societies can be made Bank Mitras of DCCBs

and StCBs. To ensure their ease of doing business, transparency and financial inclusion, Micro-ATMs are also being given to these Bank Mitra Co-operative Societies with support from NABARD  to  provide  'Door-step  Financial Services'. To  facilitate effective implementation of the initiative, an SOP has been launched on 19 th  September 2024. So far,  7,446  Micro-ATMs  have  been  distributed  to  Bank  Mitra  cooperative  societies  in Gujarat.

18. Rupay Kisan Credit Card to Members of Milk Cooperatives :  In order to expand the reach  of  DCCBs/  StCBs  and  to  provide  necessary  liquidity  to  the  members  of  Dairy Cooperative  societies,  Rupay  Kisan  Credit  Cards  (KCCs)  are  being  distributed  to  the members of cooperatives for providing credit at comparatively lower interest rates and to enable them to carry out other financial transactions. To facilitate effective implementation of the initiative, an SOP has been launched on 19 th September 2024. So far, 7,25,795 Rupay KCC have been distributed in the State of Gujarat.
19. Formation of Fish Farmer Producer Organization (FFPO) : In order to provide market linkage and processing facilities to fishermen, NCDC has registered 70 FFPOs in the initial phase. In addition, Department of Fisheries, Government of India has allocated the work of converting  1000  existing  fisheries  cooperative  societies  into  FFPOs  to  NCDC,  with  an approved outlay of Rs. 225.50 crore.
20. White Revolution 2.0 : Ministry of Cooperation, Government of India, has launched a new initiative  of  'White  Revolution 2.0' with the aim of enhancing employment, promoting women's empowerment and improving milk production through cooperative societies. The key  objectives  of  this  initiative  are  50%  increase  in  procurement  of  milk  by  dairy cooperatives,  providing  market  access  to  dairy  farmers  in  areas  that  have  not  yet  been covered  by  the  organized  dairy  sector  and  promoting  the  share  of  dairy  cooperative societies in the organized dairy sector. Ministry of Cooperation, in collaboration with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), has prepared and launched an SOP on 19 th September, 2024 to guide the effective implementation of this initiative.
21. Atmanirbharta  Abhiyan : Ministry  of  Cooperation  has  launched  the  initiative to incentivize production of pulses (tur, masur and urad) to reduce dependency on imports, and production of maize to be used for production of ethanol for meeting the goal of Ethanol Blending  Programme  (EBP).  National  Cooperative  Consumer  Federation  (NCCF)  and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) are the central nodal agencies under this initiative, and have developed Esamyukti (NCCF) and Esamridhi (NAFED) portals respectively, for registration of farmers through cooperatives. For preregistered farmers of tur, urad and masur pulses, the Government has guaranteed to procure 100% of the produce at Minimum Support Price (MSP). However, if market prices exceed the  MSP,  farmers  are  free  to  sell  their  produce  in  the  open  market  for  higher  profits. Similarly, both the agencies guarantee 100% procurement of maize from pre-registered farmers throughout all three seasons - Kharif, Zaid, and Rabi, thus ensuring a steady supply of maize to ethanol distilleries and at the same time also encouraging farmers to cultivate maize. As of today, 15,38,704 farmers have already registered on the Esamyukti.in portal of NCCF and 17,64,130 on the Esamridhi portal of NAFED.

## 2. Strengthening the Urban and Rural Cooperative Banks

22. Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) have been allowed to open new branches to expand their business: UCBs can now open new branches up to 10% (maximum 5 branches) of

the existing number of branches in the previous financial year without prior approval of RBI.

23. UCBs have been allowed by RBI to offer doorstep services to their customers: Door step banking facility can now be provided by UCBs. Account holders of these banks can now avail various banking facilities at home such as cash withdrawal, cash deposit, KYC, demand draft and life certificate for pensioners, etc.
24. Cooperative banks have been allowed to make one-time settlement of outstanding loans, like Commercial Banks: Co-operative banks, through board-approved policies, can now provide the process for settlement with borrowers, along with technical write-off.
25. Time limit increased to achieve Priority Sector Lending (PSL) targets given to UCBs : RBI has extended the timeline for UCBs to achieve Priority Sector Lending (PSL) targets by two years i.e., up to March 31, 2026.
26. A Nodal Officer designated in RBI for regular interaction with UCBs : In order to meet the long pending demand of the cooperative sector for closer coordination and focused interaction, RBI has notified a nodal officer.
27. Individual  housing  loan  limit  more  than  doubled  by  RBI  for  Rural  and  Urban Cooperative Banks:
- a. Housing loan limit of Urban Cooperative Banks has now been doubled from Rs. 30 lakh to Rs.60 lakhs.
- b. Housing loan limit of Rural Cooperative Banks has been increased to two and a half times to Rs.75 lakhs.
28. Rural  Cooperative  Banks  will  now  be  able  to  lend  to  commercial  real  estate/ residential housing sector, thereby diversifying their business : This will not only help Rural Cooperative Banks to diversify their business, but will benefit Housing cooperative societies also.
29. License fee reduced for Cooperative Banks :  License  fee  for  onboarding  Cooperative Banks to 'Aadhaar Enabled Payment System' (AePS) has been reduced by linking it to the number of transactions. Cooperative financial institutions will also be able to get the facility free of cost for the first three months of the pre-production phase. With this, farmers will now be able to get the facility of banking at their home with through biometrics.
30. Non-scheduled UCBs, StCBs and DCCBs notified as Member Lending Institutions (MLIs)  in  CGTMSE  Scheme  to  increase  the  share  of  cooperatives  in  lending: Cooperative banks will now be able to take advantage of risk coverage up to 85 percent on the loans given. Also, cooperative sector enterprises will also be able to get collateral free loans from cooperative banks now.
31. Notification of Scheduling norms for including Urban Cooperative Banks: UCBs that meet the 'Financially Sound and Well Managed' (FSWM) criteria and have maintained the minimum deposits required for classification as Tier 3 for the last two years are now eligible to be included in Schedule II of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 and get 'Scheduled' status.
32. Monetary ceiling doubled by RBI for Gold Loan: RBI has doubled monetary ceiling from Rs. 2 lakh to Rs.4 lakh, for those UCBs that meet the PSL targets.
33. Umbrella Organization for Urban Cooperative Banks : RBI has accorded approval to the National Federation of Urban Co-operative Banks and Credit Societies Ltd. (NAFCUB) for the formation of an Umbrella Organization (UO) for the UCB sector, which will provide necessary IT infrastructure and operational support to around 1,500 UCBs.

## 3. Relief to Cooperative Societies in the Income Tax Act

34. Surcharge reduced from 12% to 7% for co-operative societies having income between Rs. 1 to 10 Cr.: This will reduce the burden of Income Tax on Cooperative Societies and more capital will be available with them to work for the benefit of their members.
35. MAT reduced for cooperatives from 18.5% to 15%: With this provision, now there is parity between Cooperative Societies and Companies in this regard.
36. Relief in cash transactions under section 269ST of the Income Tax Act: In order to remove difficulties in cash transactions by cooperatives under Section 269ST of IT Act, Government has issued a clarification that cash transaction of less than Rs. 2 lakhs done by a cooperative society with its distributor in a day will be considered separately, and will not be charged with income tax penalty.
37. Tax cut for new manufacturing Cooperative societies: Government has decided that a flat lower tax rate of 15% will be charged, compared to an earlier rate of up to 30% plus surcharge, for new cooperatives commencing manufacturing activities by March 31, 2024. This will encourage the formation of new cooperative societies in the manufacturing sector.
38. Increase  in  limit  of  Cash  Deposits  and  Cash  Loans  by  PACS  and  PCARDBs: Government  has  enhanced  the  limit  for  Cash  Deposits  and  Cash  Loans  by  PACS  and Primary  Cooperative  Agriculture  and  Rural  Development  Banks  (PCARDBs)  from Rs.20,000 to Rs.2 lakh per member. This provision will facilitate their activities, increase their business and benefit members of their societies.
39. Increase  in  the  limit  of  Tax  Deducted  at  Source  (TDS)  in  Cash  Withdrawal: Government  has  increased  the  cash  withdrawal  limit  of  cooperative  societies  without deduction of tax at source from Rs.1 crore to Rs.3 crore per year. This provision will save Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) for cooperative societies, which will enhance their liquidity.

## 4. Revival of Cooperative Sugar Mills

40. Relief  from  Income  Tax  to  Sugar  Cooperative  Mills :  Government  has  issued  a clarification that cooperative sugar mills would not be subjected to additional income tax for paying higher sugarcane prices to farmers up to Fair and Remunerative or State Advised Price, from April, 2016 onwards.
41. Resolution of decades old pending issues related to Income Tax of Sugar Cooperative Mills :  Government  has  made  a  provision  in  its  Union  Budget  2023-24,  wherein  Sugar cooperatives  have  been  allowed  to  claim  as  expenditure  their  payments  to  sugarcane farmers for the period prior to assessment year 2016-17, giving them a relief of more than Rs.46,000 crore.
42. Rs.10,000 crore loan scheme launched for strengthening of Sugar Cooperative Mills : Government  has  launched  a  scheme  through  NCDC  for  setting  up  ethanol  plants  or cogeneration plants or for working capital or for all three purposes. So far, the Ministry has released Rs. 750 crore to NCDC (Rs. 500 crore in FY 2022-23 and Rs. 250 crore in FY 2024-25) under the scheme and as on 7.11.2024, NCDC has so far sanctioned Rs.7790.00 crore to 56 CSMs.
43. Preference to Cooperative Sugar Mills in purchase of ethanol : Cooperative Sugar Mills have now been put at par with private companies for ethanol procurement by Government of India under the Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP).
44. Reduction in GST on molasses from 28% to 5%: Government has decided to reduce the GST on molasses from 28% to 5% which will enable cooperative sugar mills to earn more profits for their members by selling molasses to distilleries with higher margins.

## 5. Three new National Level Multi-State Societies

45. New National Multi-State Cooperative Seed Society for certified seeds :  Government has established a new apex multi-state cooperative seed society under the MSCS Act, 2002, namely Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Limited (BBSSL) as an umbrella organization for quality seed cultivation, production and distribution under a single brand. BBSSL so far has planted breeder seeds of Wheat, Mustard, and Pulses (Gram, Pea) on 366 Hectare land during  Rabi  season.  Similarly,  during  Kharif  season  breeder  seeds  of  Paddy,  Moong, Soyabean, Groundnut, Jowar and Guar have been planted on 148.26 Hectare land. So far, 14,816 PACS/ Cooperative Societies have become members of BBSSL.
46. New  National  Multi-State Cooperative Organic  Society for  organic  farming : Government has established a new apex multi-state cooperative organic society under the MSCS Act, 2002, namely National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL) as an umbrella organization to produce, distribute and market certified and authentic organic products. So far,  3,772  PACS/  cooperative  societies  have  become  members  of  NCOL.  NCOL  has launched 13 products i.e., Whole Wheat Flour, Moong Dhuli,  Moong Whole, Moog Chilka Dal,  Moog  Split,  Arhar/Toor  Dal,  Urad  Whole,  Urad  Dal,  Masoor  Whole,  Masoor Malka,Brown Chana, Rajma Chitra, Chana Dal under 'Bharat Organics Brand'.
47. New  National  Multi-State  Cooperative  Export  Society  for  promoting  exports : Government has established a new apex multi-state cooperative export society under the MSCS Act, 2002, namely National Cooperative Export Limited (NCEL) as an umbrella organization  to  give  thrust  to  exports  from  cooperative  sector.  So  far,  5,438  PACS/ cooperative societies have become members of NCEL. Till date, NCEL has achieved a total export quantity of commodities (rice, sugar, onion, wheat, maize and Jeera) of 11,62,728 Metric tonnes with an exported value of Rs. 4,581.7 crore.

## 6. Capacity Building in Cooperatives

48. Promotion  of  training  and  awareness  through  National  Council  for  Cooperative Training (NCCT) : By increasing its reach, NCCT has conducted 1,937 training programs and provided training to 1,09,021 participants till October 2024.

## 7. Use of Information Technology for 'Ease of Doing Business'

49. Computerization of the Central Registrar's Office : Central Registrar's office has been computerized to create a digital ecosystem for Multi-State Cooperative Societies, which will assist in processing applications and service requests in a time bound manner.
50. Scheme for computerization of office of RCSs in States/Union Territories : To increase 'Ease  of  doing  business'  for  Cooperative  Societies  and  create  a  digital  ecosystem  for transparent paperless regulation in all the States/ Union Territories, a Centrally Sponsored Project for computerization of RCS Offices has been approved by the Government. Grants are provided for purchase of hardware, development of software, etc. to the States/ UTs. So far, proposals received from 35 States/ UTs have been sanctioned by GOI.
51. Computerization  of  Agriculture  and  Rural  Development  Banks  (ARDBs) :  To strengthen  the  long-term  cooperative  credit  structure,  the  project  of  computerization  of 1,851 units of Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (ARDBs) spread across 13 States/ Union Territories has been approved by the Government. NABARD is the implementing agency  for  the  project.  So  far,  proposals  from  10  States/UTs  have  been  received  and sanctioned.  Further,  GOI  share  amounting  to  Rs  4.26  crore  has  been  released  to  8 States/UTs in FY 2023-24 and FY 2024-25 for procurement of hardware, digitization and setting up of support system.

## 8. Other Initiatives

52. New National Cooperative Database for authentic and updated data repository :  A database  of  cooperatives  in  the  country  has  been  prepared  with  the  support  of  State Governments to facilitate stakeholders in policy making and implementation of programmes/ schemes related to cooperatives across the country. So far, data of more than 8 lakh cooperatives has been captured in the database.
53. Multi-State  Co-operative  Societies  (Amendment)  Act,  2023 :  Amendment  has  been brought in the MSCS Act, 2002 to strengthen governance, enhance transparency, increase accountability, reform electoral process and incorporate provisions of 97 th Constitutional Amendment in the Multi State Cooperative Societies.
54. Cooperative  Ombudsman: Following  the  amendment  in  the  Multi-State  Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 2002, Cooperative Ombudsman has been appointed under Section 85A of the said Act vide gazette notification dated 05.03.2024. The Ombudsman office is fully  functional  and  deals  with  complaints  or  appeals,  from  members  of  the  MSCS regarding  their  deposits,  equitable  benefits  of  the  Multi-State  Co-operative  Society's functioning or any other issue affecting the individual rights of the concerned member.
55. Cooperative Election Authority (CEA): Following the amendment in the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 2002, the Cooperative Election Authority has been set up to strengthen governance and accountability, with a mandate to conduct free and fair election in all MSCSs. Elections in more than 60 MSCS have been conducted successfully.
56. Inclusion  of  Cooperatives  as  'buyers'  on  GeM  portal :    Government  has  permitted cooperatives to register as 'buyer' on GeM, enabling them to procure goods and services from over 67 lakhs vendors to facilitate economical purchases and greater transparency. So far,  574  cooperative  societies  have  been  onboarded  on  GeM  as  buyers.  To  date,  2,406 transactions have been done with transaction amount of Rs. 273.62 crores.
57. Expansion of National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) to increase its range  and  depth :  NCDC  has  launched  new  schemes  in  various  sectors  such  as 'SwayamshaktiSahkar' for SHGs; 'Deerghavadhi Krishak Sahkar' for long term agricultural credit and 'Dairy Sahkar' for dairy. During the current FY 2024-25, so far, total financial assistance of Rs. 52,533 crores has been disbursed by NCDC.
58. Financial assistance by NCDC for Deep Sea Trawlers :  NCDC is providing financial assistance for projects related to deep sea trawlers in coordination with the Department of Fisheries, Government of India. NCDC has already sanctioned financial assistance of Rs. 25.95  crore  for  purchase  of  total  44  deep  sea  trawlers  for  the  Fisheries  Cooperative Societies of Maharashtra and Gujarat State.
59. Refund  to  Investors  of  Sahara  Group  of  Societies :  A  portal  has  been  launched  for making payments to the genuine depositors of the cooperative societies of Sahara Group in a transparent manner. Disbursements have already started after proper identification and submission  of  proof  of  their  deposits  and  claims.  So  far,  Rs.1248.71  crores  have  been disbursed to 8.23 lakhs applicants.

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