Shillong, July 12: The BJP Naional Vice President Mr. Chuba Ao, is of the view that with people’s participation are channelised effectively, the northeast India can benefit a lot through cooperative hand-holding strategies.
This can successfully lead to social, economic, political and regional stability for the northeast region. The success of Act East policy of the Centre too could depend a lot
on the cooperation and the Cooperatives can also help in integrating the region’s products and resources to the global market. All these are more relevant in the absence of corporate investments.
“Let us take for example Bamboo production and products made of bamboo, we know it well that bamboo has become the lifestyle of the North East region. Therefore, if Bamboo Cooperatives are formed, these could be made use of to rejuvenate the socioeconomic lifestyle of the people” said Mr. Chuba Ao.
In the process, they can preserve, rear, encourage and innovate the bamboo ecosystem. I am aware of the success tales of certain cooperative societies in states such as Sikkim. A few years ago, it used to be argued that the Sikkim State Co-operative Supply and Marketing Federation Ltd.
SIMFED could be cited as a role model and can be replicated in other states of region. Founded in 1983 as the state’s top marketing organization, this organisation has helped in the mission of carrying out bulk marketing of agricultural and horticultural products, including significant cash crops, and distributing farm input through cooperatives.
This is just an example and we have many other good examples. In the final analysis, they may not be wrong to say that the Prime Minister’s mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’ is essentially the soul of the cooperative.
The Modi government has taken several new steps trying to make cooperative societies, institutions competitive in the market, by providing them a level playing field with other market players.
The centre has even provided assistance to the cooperative societies by reducing the taxes. While making reforms, the government has also given the cooperatives equal status to that of the Farmer Producer Organizations. This is also going a long way in helping the growth journey.
