PASIGHAT, Feb 13: A two-day State-level Cooperative Conclave (Sahkarita Sammelan) on the theme “Cooperatives Build a Better World – Sahkar Se Samriddhi” commenced on Friday at Pasighat in East Siang district, aiming to reinforce inter-departmental convergence and enhance the capacity of cooperative societies across the State.
The conclave was inaugurated by Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry & Veterinary, Dairy Development, Fisheries, Food & Civil Supplies, Legal Metrology and Consumer Affairs Minister Gabriel D Wangsu in the presence of Rural Development, Cooperation and Panchayati Raj Minister Ojing Tasing, local MLA Tapi Darang, Secretary (Cooperation, RD & PR) Dr Sonal Swaroop, ADC (HQ) Pebika Lego and other officials.
In his address, Wangsu highlighted the pivotal role of cooperatives in fostering rural entrepreneurship, ensuring economic self-reliance, and generating sustainable livelihood opportunities for farmers, youth and women.
He, along with Minister Tasing, emphasised that coordinated action among departments is essential to maximise the benefits of government schemes at the grassroots level.
Officials from the Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry presented short notes outlining key schemes, subsidies, financial assistance and technical support available to cooperative societies. An interactive panel discussion followed, addressing concerns related to scheme accessibility, funding mechanisms, infrastructure development and capacity building.
A key highlight of the inaugural session was a presentation by a representative of Amul, who elaborated on the successful cooperative business model of the dairy giant. The speaker explained how strong cooperative structures, transparent governance, efficient procurement systems and value addition have enabled Amul to emerge as one of India’s most successful dairy brands, encouraging local cooperatives to adopt similar principles.
A representative from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) delivered an address on achieving success through cooperation, stressing the importance of capacity building, financial literacy and institutional strengthening to ensure sustainable growth.
Further, Managing Director of Arunachal Pradesh State Cooperative Apex Bank Ltd, Bittu Kri, shared insights on linking cooperatives with the State Cooperative Bank framework. He underscored the importance of financial inclusion, credit linkage and structured banking support in empowering cooperative societies to scale operations and improve economic outcomes for their members.
The conclave will continue on Saturday with deliberations on actionable strategies to strengthen and modernise the cooperative movement in East Siang district and across the State. (DIPRO)