Odisha govt exploring new opportunities in cooperative sector

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has initiated the process for exploring new opportunities in the cooperative sector for generation of new employment opportunities and for fetching more income to the producers.

A high-level meeting to this effect was held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi at the secretariat conference hall wherein the Integrated Cooperative Development Programme (ICDP) was deliberated. Considering the proposal, the Chief Secretary directed various departments to make an assessment of the growth potential through cooperative structures.

Development Commissioner R. Balakrishnan advised the departments to make a realistic assessment and visualize concrete projects with resource requirement.

The meeting deliberated on the flourishing of cooperative activities in the sectors and trades like Odisha’s regional cuisine, micro-irrigation, truck-mounted processing facilities at farm gates within easy reach of the farmers, agroforestry.

It was decided that the Department of Cooperation would carry forward ICDP initiatives as the nodal department.

Managing Director of National Cooperative Development Corporation Sandeep Kumar Nayak said, “Recent trend of development in Odisha has created great potential for production and marketing activities through cooperative societies. The state government has initiated steps in this direction. NCDC has proposed to participate in this endeavour of the state government. We can provide loan financial assistance in shape of the loan to state government and public sector owned marketing federations for these activities”.