RAJOURI: Deputy Commissioner Rajouri, Vikas Kundal, today conducted a thorough review of the performance and functioning of Cooperative Societies here at a meeting of District Cooperative Development Committee (DCDC).
During the review meeting, DC Rajouri issued a slew of instructions to the Cooperative Department with regard to effective functioning of the cooperative societies. He asked the department to organise an awareness camp for FPOs and PACS in collaboration with agriculture and allied departments to diversify the cooperative activities. He stressed on taking fresh initiatives aimed to celebrate the cooperative spirit and raise awareness about its importance in forging economic prosperity in the district.
Additionally, the department was directed to ensure 100% onboarding of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) on Common Service Centers (CSCs). This step will facilitate easy access to digital services and financial transactions for the members of cooperative societies, promoting efficiency and convenience.
Furthermore, the Deputy Commissioner directed the revenue department to identify suitable land for the establishment of the storage facility under the World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in the district. This initiative aims to enhance food security and storage capacity, supporting the agricultural sector’s growth.
The DC also emphasized the completion of the audit of all PACS in a timely manner to ensure transparency, accountability, and good governance within the cooperative societies. Regular up-dating of data on the online portal of the National Cooperative Database was stressed to provide accurate and up-to-date information on the functioning and performance of the societies.
The department was further urged to take necessary measures to initiate recovery from defaulting members of PACS to bring down Non-Performing Assets (NPA) and strengthen the financial health of the societies and ensure their sustainability.
To streamline the availability and accessibility of agricultural inputs, the DC Rajouri asked to encourage PACS to open PM Kisan Samriddhi Kendras for fertilizer distribution. Furthermore, he instructed for the opening of Jan Aushadhi Kendras by all five identified PACS in the district to provide affordable generic medicines to the local community, promoting access to quality healthcare at reasonable prices.
Officers present in the meeting were CPO, Mohammad Khurshid; ACR Imran Rashid Kataria; CAHO, Dr Khalid; CAO, Sohan Singh; LDM, Sanjeev Bhasin and AR(HQ), Mohd Naseer; other concerned officers from the Cooperative Department.