New Delhi [India], July 2 : Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla addressed the participants at the valedictory session of the 17th Indian Cooperative Congress held in New Delhi on Sunday and said that the cooperative movement has brought a transformation in the lives of farmers and labourers.
Speaking on the occasion, Birla said, "Earlier, the farmer had to take a loan at 16 to 18 per cent, but today in many States of the country, it is now possible to get a loan of Rs. 1 to 1.5 lakh at a zero per cent interest rate only through cooperatives. Along with this, farmers are getting manure, seeds and fertilizers from the cooperative societies at a cheaper rate."
He said that the national movement is a fine example of cooperation, in which people from every class, every community, every caste, region and group participated.
"The spirit of cooperation is in our basic nature, in our thoughts and in our behaviour. The spirit of cooperation has been in the thinking of our national heroes. Our national movement is a fine example of cooperation, in which people from every class, every community, every caste, region and group participated," observed Birla.
Speaking further, Birla said that the establishment of cooperative sugar mills brought about a radical change in the country, due to which farmers started getting fair prices for sugarcane and a well-organized process of sugarcane procurement could be in place.
"A large number of people have got employment in fisheries, animal husbandry, dairy, small scale, cottage industries, women's self-help groups and weavers' societies, through cooperatives, which made their lives better," stated Birla.
Birla also highlighted the role of consumer cooperatives and housing cooperatives and how they have benefited the people.
"Today, small farmers who are into fish farming at the village level, through cooperatives, are also doing many works like fish processing, fish drying, fish storage, fish canning and fish transport in an organized manner. This has increased their income, and improved their quality of life," said Birla.
He said that the cooperative sector is also playing a big role in increasing the exports of our country.
"Our cooperative societies associated with manufacturing sectors are making 'Make in India' a reality today," said the Lok Sabha Speaker.
Birla emphasized that the Prime Minister's initiative of creating a separate ministry for cooperatives has brought transparency and accountability to the system. "Cooperatives will usher in a new era of economic transformation," he further emphasised.
Birla suggested that cooperatives should become the vehicle of social policy and national policy instead of being instruments of politics. He stressed how with a collective spirit, we can move forward towards 'prosperity from cooperation' by improving our efficiency and skills in the field of cooperatives.
Birla also emphasized increasing awareness in the cooperative sector.
Birla further emphasized that the cooperative sector should become a model of transparency, accountability and corruption-free governance. Mentioning that recent reforms have addressed corruption and management in the cooperative sector, Birla hoped that this sector would fulfil the dream of self-reliance and developing India.
The main objective of the National Cooperative Union of India is to promote and develop the cooperative movement in the country. Apart from this, it is intended to educate, guide and assist people in the creation and expansion of the cooperative sector and act as an exponent of cooperative opinion in accordance with the principles enunciated in the first schedule of the Cooperative Act.
Besides, it works to publicize the achievements of cooperatives, to express an opinion on matters of cooperative policy and to act as a recognized representative of the Indian cooperative movement at the national and international level, and to organize cooperative conferences, seminars, meetings, conferences and exhibitions, etc.
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