BHUBANESWAR: The state government will launch a mega cooperative membership campaign, ‘Sambandha’, on September 1 with the objective of enrolling at least one member from every rural household into the cooperative network.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi will launch the campaign along with a mobile application to facilitate transparent and hassle-free digital registration. The initiative is aimed at taking cooperative services to every rural household and strengthening the economic foundation of village communities.
For the first time in the state’s cooperative history, primary agriculture cooperative societies (PACS) and large area multi-purpose cooperative societies (LAMPS) will distribute dividends to farmer members.
In the first phase, more than three lakh members of 180 PACS and LAMPS will receive dividends of around Rs 14 crore. The state government, as a stakeholder, will receive Rs 4.22 crore, which will be reinvested in the development of the cooperative sector.
The chief minister will virtually inaugurate 21 new milk collection centres, taking the number operated through PACS and LAMPS to 97. The centres are intended to encourage dairy farming and strengthen rural livelihoods.
The chief minister will also launch 50 agro-service centres to provide small and marginal farmers access to modern farm machinery at affordable rental rates. Besides, 46 consumer centres and 200 Jan Seva Kendras will be inaugurated to provide essential goods and government and private services closer to rural communities.
As part of efforts to improve transparency and operational efficiency, 200 PACS will be brought under the National PACS Computerisation Software (NLPS) and the remaining societies will be onboarded by the end of the financial year.
The government plans to establish 100 modern model mandis across all districts. The foundation stones for four of the 38 cabinet-approved mandis, two in Cuttack and one each in Khurda and Puri, will be laid virtually.
Foundation stones will also be laid for three of the first 19 warehouses planned under the Centre’s ‘World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan’. In addition, 30 candidates will receive appointment letters for the Odisha State Warehousing Corporation.