Tag: cooperative sector

New initiatives taken by the Cooperation Department in Bengal

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The Bengal Government’s Cooperation Department has taken several initiatives to improve the reach of cooperative societies across the State by converting cooperative societies into banks, and introducing computerisation and modern banking services. Regular audits of cooperative societies are being conducted and special initiatives are being taken for increasing memberships of cooperative societies.

New initiatives

Overhauling rural cooperative system: The department has set a target of overhauling the entire rural cooperative system and mobilising deposits of about Rs 1 lakh crore in the next two to three years. As a result, cooperative banks and primary agricultural credit societies (PACS) will be able to contribute more effectively towards various Government schemes and extend loans to SHGs. They should be able to extend at least 50 per cent of the almost Rs 40,000 crore loan required annually for crop production and marketing.

Banking for the unbanked: The department has set a target of opening at least 75 cooperative bank branches in unbanked gram panchayats (GP) by the end of financial year 2018-19.

Modern banking: Modern banking facilities, viz., ATM, RTGS, NEFT, etc. are being provided at existing cooperative banks. Till now, 350 branches of West Bengal State Cooperative Bank (WBSCB) and Central Cooperative Bank (CCB) have already been CBS-enabled and 80 ATMs are in operation. Besides, mobile ATM services have also been introduced.

Assistance to PACS: An assistance of Rs 34.75 crore has been given for the computerisation of 2,780 primary agricultural cooperative societies (PACS).

New cold storage units: Construction of six cold storage units has been taken up, having a total capacity of 49,000 MT, which are likely to be completed during the current year.

Regular audit: Initiatives have been taken to conduct timely and regular audit of cooperative societies.

Increasing membership: Special initiatives have been taken to enhance the memberships of cooperative societies.

Samabay Bhavans: The State Government has decided to establish Samabay Bhavans in all the districts to accommodate all offices related to the Cooperation Department under one roof. So far, bhavans have been completed in Purba Bardhaman (Bardhaman), Paschim Bardhaman (Asansol), Bankura, Purulia, North 24 Parganas and Paschim Medinipur. Construction is going on in Malda.

 

Important schemes being implemented in the cooperative sector by Bengal Govt

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Several important schemes are being implemented by the State Cooperation Department to improve the cooperative sector. The Trinamool Congress Government has been very proactive in empowering the rural population, as well as the urban population to some extent, by energising the cooperative sector.

Special Bad Debt Reserve for CCBs and PACS (Risk Fund): Under this scheme, an outright grant to primary agricultural cooperative societies (PACS) and central cooperative banks (CCB), at 4 per cent and 2 per cent, respectively, of the additional amount of loans issued over and above last year’s amounts, would be given to encourage agricultural credit to the weaker sections of society. Rs 1,300 lakh has been allocated for the Special Bad Debt Reserve for CCBs (Risk Fund) and Rs 2,600 lakh has been allocated for the Special Bad Debt Reserve for PACSs (Risk Fund).

Strengthening of central cooperative banks (CCB): Rs 500 lakh has been allocated for assisting the weak central cooperative banks for 2018-19, to strengthen the capital base and raise the net worth, as these banks play a pivotal role in spreading the Cooperative Movement at the district-level.

Strengthening of primary agricultural cooperative societies (PACS): Rs 1,000 lakh has been allocated for assisting the weak primary agricultural cooperative societies in hiring godowns, purchasing furniture, giving incentives to staff, computerising offices and training SHGs, for a period of three years.

Investment in shares – National Rural Credit (Long Term Operations) Fund: Rs 500 lakh has been allocated for 2018-19 towards financial assistance in the form of State share to West Bengal State Cooperative Bank (WBSCB), Central Cooperative Banks (CCB), West Bengal State Cooperative Agricultural and Rural Development Bank (WBSCARD) and Primary Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (PCARDB), to strengthen their capital base.

Assistance for universal membership: Rs 50 lakh has been allocated for 2018-19 for encouraging the weaker sections of society to be brought within the cooperative fold by allowing an assistance of Rs 250 per head to purchase shares of PACSs.

Training of self-help groups (SHG): Rs 965 crore has been allocated for 2018-19 for sensitisation and awareness training programmes for the members of more than 2 lakh SHGs, and for skill development training for the members of the SHGs.

Supply of long-term credit: Rs 500 crore has been allocated for 2018-19 for supplying long-term credit to the weaker sections of society by the agricultural and rural development banks.

Assistance for offsetting imbalance in PCARDBs: Rs 4,000 lakh has been allocated for 2018-19 for reviving WBSCARD and the PCARDBs under the long-term cooperative credit sector.

Urban credit cooperative sector: For 2018-19, for the revival and development of the urban cooperative banks (URB), urban credit cooperative societies (UCCS) and mahila cooperative societies (MCS), Rs 100 lakh, Rs 300 lakh and Rs 300 lakh, respectively has been allocated.

Establishment of cold storages: Rs 200 lakh has been allocated for 2018-19 for the repairing, renovation and expansion of cold storages under the various cooperatives.

Establishment of storage godowns: Rs 50 lakh has been allocated for 2018-19, to be given to primary agricultural credit societies and primary agricultural marketing societies for the construction of godowns and the repairing and renovation of existing ones.

Assistance to agricultural marketing societies: Rs 1,000 lakh and Rs 50 lakh have been allocated to West Bengal State Cooperative Marketing Federation and the primary agricultural marketing societies, respectively, to supply agricultural inputs like fertilizers, seeds, etc. and market agricultural produce including procurement of paddy at the State Government-mandated minimum support price (MSP).

Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF): Rs 6,000 lakh has been allocated for 2018-19 under RIDF for the construction of large godowns, cold storages, rice mills, seed farms, etc.

Development of cooperative societies: For 2018-19, Rs 200 lakh has been allocated for Apex Consumers’ Cooperative Society, Rs 300 lakh for urban consumers’ cooperative societies and another Rs 200 lakh for rural consumers’ cooperative societies.

Training: Rs 275 lakh has been allotted for 2018-19 for the construction of training centres and for conducting training programmes by West Bengal State Cooperative Union.

Samabay Bhavans: Samabay Bhavans have been built in the districts of Purba Bardhaman (Bardhaman), Paschim Bardhaman (Asansol), Bankura, Purulia, North 24 Parganas and Paschim Medinipur. Construction is going on in Malda. Rs 200 crore has been allotted for constructions in a few more districts.

Ad hoc Grant to employees of cooperative societies: Rs 1,500 crore has been allocated for 2018-19 under the head of Ad hoc Grant for enhancing the emoluments of the employees of the various cooperative societies.

West Bengal Cooperative Service Commission: Rs 74 lakh has been allocated for 2018-19 for West Bengal Cooperative Service Commission, which selects and recommends the appointments of personnel in cooperative societies across the state, in line with the provisions of the West Bengal Cooperative Societies Act, 2006.

 

Important schemes being implemented in the cooperative sector

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0Cooperatives comprise a major success story in Bengal. From empowering cooperatives societies to providing loans, creating lakhs of self-help groups (SHG) and assisting farmers, the rural economy is largely dependent on them.

In the last six years, the Cooperation Department has undertaken many schemes for the development of this sector.

Here are some of them:

 

Special Bad Debt Reserve for CCBs and PACS (Risk Fund): Under this scheme, an outright grant to primary agricultural cooperative societies (PACS) and central cooperative banks (CCB), at 4 per cent and 2 per cent, respectively, of the additional amount of loans issued over and above last year’s amounts, would be given to encourage agricultural credit to the weaker sections of society.

Strengthening of central cooperative banks (CCB): Rs 500 lakh has been allocated for assisting the weak central cooperative banks for 2018-19, to strengthen the capital base and raise the net worth, as these banks play a pivotal role in spreading the Cooperative Movement at the district-level.

Strengthening of primary agricultural cooperative societies (PACS): Rs 1,000 lakh has been allocated for assisting the weak primary agricultural cooperative societies to hire godowns, purchase furniture, give incentives to staff, computerise offices and train SHGs, for a period of three years.

Investment in shares: Rs 500 lakh has been allocated for 2018-19 towards financial assistance in the form of state share to West Bengal State Cooperative Bank (WBSCB), Central Cooperative Banks (CCB), West Bengal State Cooperative Agricultural and Rural Development Bank (WBSCARD) and Primary Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (PCARDB), to strengthen their capital base.

Assistance for universal membership: Rs 50 lakh has been allocated for 2018-19 for encouraging the weaker sections of society to be brought within the cooperative fold by allowing an assistance of Rs 250 per head to purchase shares of PACSs.

Training of self-help groups (SHG): Rs 965 crore has been allocated for 2018-19 for sensitisation and awareness training programmes for the members of more than 2 lakh SHGs, and for skill development training for the members of the SHGs.

Supply of long-term credit: Rs 500 crore has been allocated for 2018-19 for supplying long-term credit to the weaker sections of society by the agricultural and rural development banks.

Establishment of cold storages: Rs 200 lakh has been allocated for 2018-19 for the repairing, renovation and expansion of cold storages under the various cooperatives.

Establishment of storage godowns: Rs 50 lakh has been allocated for 2018-19, to be given to primary agricultural credit societies and primary agricultural marketing societies for the construction of godowns and the repairing and renovation of existing ones.

Assistance to agricultural marketing societies: Rs 1,000 lakh and Rs 50 lakh have been allocated to West Bengal State Cooperative Marketing Federation and the primary agricultural marketing societies, respectively, to supply agricultural inputs like fertilizers, seeds, etc. and market agricultural produce including procurement of paddy at the State Government-mandated minimum support price (MSP).

Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF): Rs 6,000 lakh has been allocated for 2018-19 under RIDF for the construction of large godowns, cold storages, rice mills, seed farms, etc.

 

সমবায় দপ্তরের কিছু গুরুত্বপূর্ণ প্রকল্প 

গ্রামীণ বাংলার অর্থনীতির অন্যতম মূল চালিকাশক্তি হল সমবায়। ঋণ প্রদান, স্বনির্ভর গোষ্ঠীগুলিকে সহায়তা করা, কৃষকদের সাহায্য করার পাশাপাশি নানা কর্মসূচী নিয়ে থাকে সমবায় দপ্তর।

এই দপ্তরের কিছু উল্লেখযোগ্য প্রকল্প:

• স্পেশ্যাল ব্যাড ডেট রিসার্ভ ফর সেন্ট্রাল কোঅপারেটিভ ব্যাঙ্কস ও প্রাইমারি এগ্রিকালচারাল ক্রেডিট কোঅপারেটিভ সোসাইটিস

সমাজের পিছিয়ে পড়া শ্রেণীর মানুষদের কল্যাণের জন্য গতবছর প্রদত্ত অনুদানের সাথে এই প্রকল্পের আওতায় ৪% ও ২% হারে প্রাইমারি এগ্রিকালচারাল ক্রেডিট কোঅপারেটিভ সোসাইটি ও সেন্ট্রাল কোঅপারেটিভ ব্যাঙ্কগুলিকে অতিরিক্ত অনুদান দেওয়া হয়।

• সেন্ট্রাল কোঅপারেটিভ ব্যাঙ্কগুলিকে শক্তিশালী করা

জেলা স্তরে সমবায় ব্যবস্থাকে সুদৃঢ় করতে সেন্ট্রাল কোঅপারেটিভ ব্যাঙ্কগুলি গুরুত্বপূর্ণ ভূমিকা পালন করে। এই প্রকল্পের উদ্দেশ্য দুর্বল সেন্ট্রাল কোঅপারেটিভ ব্যাঙ্কগুলির মূলধন ও নেট ওয়ার্থ (মোট মূল্য) বাড়ানো।

• প্রাইমারি এগ্রিকালচারাল ক্রেডিট কোঅপারেটিভ সোসাইটিকে শক্তিশালী করা

গ্রামীণ অর্থনীতিতে গুরুত্বপূর্ণ ভূমিকা পালন করে প্রাইমারি এগ্রিকালচারাল ক্রেডিট কোঅপারেটিভ সোসাইটি। এই প্রকল্পের অধীনে দুর্বল প্রাইমারি এগ্রিকালচারাল ক্রেডিট কোঅপারেটিভ সোসাইটিগুলিকে গুদাম ভাড়া করতে, আসবাব কিনতে, টানা তিন বছর স্বনির্ভর গোষ্ঠীদের প্রশিক্ষণ দিয়ে কার্যকরী করতে সহায়তা করা হয়।

• শেয়ারে বিনিয়োগ

এই প্রকল্পে, পশ্চিমবঙ্গ রাজ্য সমবায় ব্যাঙ্ক ও সেন্ট্রাল কোঅপারেটিভ ব্যাঙ্ক, পশ্চিমবঙ্গ রাজ্য সমবায় কৃষি ও গ্রামোন্নয়ন ব্যাঙ্ক, প্রাথমিক সমবায় কৃষি ও গ্রামোন্নয়ন ব্যাঙ্ককে স্টেট শেয়ারের মাধ্যমে আর্থিক সহায়তা করা হয়।

• অ্যাসিস্টেন্স ফর ইউনিভার্সাল মেম্বারশিপ

ইউনিভার্সাল মেম্বারশিপ প্রকল্পে সমাজের পিছিয়ে পড়া শ্রেণীর মানুষকে জন পিছু ২৫০ টাকা দেওয়া হয় প্রাইমারি এগ্রিকালচারাল ক্রেডিট কোঅপারেটিভ সোসাইটির শেয়ার কিনতে সহায়তা করার জন্য।

• স্বনির্ভর গোষ্ঠীর প্রশিক্ষণ

২ লক্ষেরও বেশী সদস্য আছে এমন স্বনির্ভর গোষ্ঠীগুলিকে সচেতনতা বৃদ্ধির প্রশিক্ষণ দেওয়া হয় এই প্রকল্পের মাধ্যমে। সিদ্ধান্ত নেওয়া হয়েছে আগামী বছর থেকে স্বনির্ভর গোষ্ঠীর সদস্যদের দক্ষতা বিকাশের প্রশিক্ষণ দেওয়া হবে, যাতে তাদের আয়ও বাড়বে।

• দীর্ঘমেয়াদী ঋণের যোগান

এই প্রকল্পের উদ্দেশ্য ঋণ দেওয়ার নিয়ম শিথিল করে কৃষি ও গ্রামীণ ব্যাঙ্কের মাধ্যমে পিছিয়ে পড়া শ্রেণীর মানুষদের দীর্ঘমেয়াদী ঋণের যোগান দেওয়া। সরকারি সহায়তায় ৩% হারে বিশেষ কৃষি ঋণ পাবে দুর্বল শ্রেণীর মানুষরা।

• হিমঘর তৈরী

এই প্রকল্পে সমবায়ের অধীনের হিমঘরগুলির মেরামত, সংস্কার, সম্প্রসারণে সহায়তা করা হয়। ২০১৮-১৯ সালের জন্য এ বাবদ ২ কোটি টাকা ধার্য করা হয়েছে।

• গুদামঘর তৈরী

প্রাথমিক কৃষি ঋণ সমিতি ও প্রাথমিক কৃষি বিপণন সমিতিগুলিকে গুদামঘর তৈরী ও রক্ষনাবেক্ষন করতে আর্থিক অনুদান দেওয়া হয়।

• কৃষি বিপণন সমিতিকে সহায়তা

সার,বীজ কেনা এবং সরকার নির্ধারিত ন্যূনতম সহায়ক মূল্যে ধান সংগ্রহ করতে পশ্চিমবঙ্গ রাজ্য সমবায় বিপণন সমিতি ও প্রাথমিক কৃষি ঋণ সমিতিগুলিকে আর্থিক অনুদান দেওয়া হয়।

• গ্রামীণ পরিকাঠামো উন্নয়ন তহবিল

এই প্রকল্পের উদ্দেশ্য গ্রামীণ পরিকাঠামো উন্নয়ন – যেমন, বড় গুদামঘর, হিমঘর তৈরী, চালকোল বীজের কারখানা তৈরী, ইত্যাদি।