Rs 167-Crore Pilot Project Soon: Cooperation Minister Rihon Daimary 

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The lethargic cooperative movement in Assam is set to gain pace with the Centre earmarking Rs 6,000 crore for it. A pilot project costing Rs 167 crore is going to start soon in four districts and the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) is playing the role of the nodal agency between the Department of Cooperation, Assam and the Government on India.

The department has also taken measures to boost WAMUL (West Assam Milk Union Ltd), EAMUL (East Assam Milk Union Ltd) and CAMUL (Cachar-Krimganj Milk Union Ltd). Purabi milk of WAMUL has been a brand name in Assam by virtue of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) taking it over for a period of ten years in 2009 that ended this year. However, persuasion from the State government has made the NDDB to take over WAMUL for another three-year term.

Talking to The Sentinel, State Minister of Cooperation Rihon Daimary said, “Cooperative societies play an important role in rural economy and job generation. To boost the sector further, the Central Government is going to pump in Rs 6,000 crore to Assam. We’ve taken a pilot project in four districts – in the State soon. The Centre is going to fund the project through the NCDC. This is because NCDC is the nodal agency between Dispur and New Delhi.”

Daimary said: “Assam has over 11,700 cooperative societies of diverse kinds. However, because of various reasons very few of them are being run successfully. Many such societies take loans from banks but fail to repay them. Now we are examining as to why the performance of cooperative societies in Assam is poor, what ails them and where we need to lay stress on. WAMUL’s Parabi milk has been a brand name in Assam for NDDB taking it over for ten years that ended this year. For the extension of the takeover period of WAMUL I took up the matter with the Chief Minister who took it up with the Centre. Now the NDDB is going to take WAMUL for another three-year term.”

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