BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday launched the mega membership drive ‘Sambandha’ for primary agricultural credit societies (PACS) and large-sized multipurpose cooperative societies (LAMPCS).
Calling upon farmers to join in large numbers, the chief minister said ‘Sambandha’ is not just a scheme but an innovative effort to strengthen the close bond of relationship and trust between government and every farmer family in the state.
Majhi said inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call of ‘Sahakar Se Samridhhi’ and under the guidance of Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, Odisha has become the first state in the country to formulate its Cooperative Policy 2026. Under this policy, PACS and LAMPCS are being transformed from mere credit providers to multi-service one-stop solution centres in rural areas, he stated.
The chief minister said along with extending MSP of Rs 3,100 per quintal of paddy, the government is providing facilities like fertilizer, seeds, modern farm equipment, banking, crop insurance and milk collection under one roof.
Majhi inaugurated 185 transformed mandis, 50 custom hiring centres, 250 Jan Seva Kendras, 60 new consumer stores, 70 new PACS office and godown buildings and milk collection centres in 21 PACS. He also laid foundation stones for four model mandis and three grain warehouses. To make functioning of cooperatives more transparent and efficient, the chief minister emphasised core banking and real-time settlement through National Level PACS Software. He launched online system in 300 PACS through NLPS. He also started dividend distribution to farmer-members of PACS and LAMPCS for the first time. For 2024-25 financial year, Majhi distributed dividends to farmers of 322 PACS and LAMPCS.
For increasing income of sugarcane farmers and revival of cooperative sugar industry, he launched the scheme Promotion of Sugarcane Production in Cooperative Sugar Industry Area with input subsidy of Rs 15,000 per acre initially for farmers in Badamba and Aska cooperative sugar mill areas. He also handed over appointment letters to 11 assistant superintendents, 19 warehouse assistants of Odisha State Warehousing Corporation and 36 cooperative inspectors.
Addressing the function, Cooperation Minister Pradip Bal Samanta said the membership drive has been launched with the objective of connecting at least one member from every family to the cooperative movement. He said under the present government, cooperative societies are no longer loss-making institutions, but have been transformed into self-reliant and profitable business establishments.
