Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao has asserted that the State government is committed to further strengthen the Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS) for making them more viable and service oriented institutions at the grassroots level.

The Chief Secretary said there is tremendous scope for expansion and development of the cooperative sector in the State, particularly in the fields of dairy and fisheries which have scope for generating substantial employment and income generating opportunities for rural communities. He wanted the officials to focus on capacity building and diversification of cooperative activities besides adopting modern technology for making these institutions more competitive and sustainable.

Mr. Ramakrishna Rao along with Union Secretary Ministry of Cooperation Ashish Kumar Butani presided over the State Cooperative Development Committee meeting held here on Friday. Senior officials of Government of India and the State government attended the meeting and deliberated on the measures for strengthening the cooperative sector across the State.

The Chief Secretary said the State had a strong and vibrant cooperative movement with immense potential to contribute to inclusive economic growth. The sector was crucial in promoting inclusive growth and ensuring economic empowerment at the grassroot level. Officials concerned should accordingly identify key areas where cooperative societies could be strengthened through improved governance, digital integration, better financial management and capacity building.

Agriculture Secretary Surendra Mohan gave a comprehensive overview of the cooperative sector and highlighted the significant role being played by cooperative institutions in the socio-economic development of rural communities. As many as 60,925 cooperative societies were currently functioning in the State reflecting the strength and widespread presence of the cooperative movement.

The State government was fully aligned with the Central government’s initiative for computerisation of PACS to improve transparency, efficiency and service delivery. As part of the effort to diversify and strengthen rural economic activities, Telangana cooperative union was hand holding and developing 311 PACS into Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), enabling farmers to gain better access to markets, value addition and collective bargaining opportunities.

The government was in the process of formulating a comprehensive State Cooperative Policy to provide strategic direction for the growth and modernisation of the cooperative sector. The proposed policy was aimed at promoting professional management, financial sustainability, digital transformation and expansion of cooperative activities into emerging sectors.