Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao on Friday, May 15, held a meeting with senior officials of the cooperative department from both state and central governments and deliberated on measures for strengthening the cooperative sector.
Addressing the attendees, the Chief Secretary Ramakrishna Rao said that Telangana has a strong and vibrant cooperative movement with immense potential to contribute to inclusive economic growth.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to further strengthening Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and emphasised that there is tremendous scope for expansion and development of the cooperative sector, particularly in dairy and fisheries, which can generate substantial employment and income opportunities for rural communities.
He directed officials to focus on capacity building, diversification of cooperative activities and adoption of modern technology to make cooperative institutions more competitive and sustainable.
Emphasising the importance of the cooperative sector in promoting inclusive growth and ensuring economic empowerment at the grassroots level, the Chief Secretary directed the officials to identify key areas where cooperative societies can be strengthened through improved governance, digital integration, better financial management and capacity building.
311 PACS being developed into FPOs
Secretary of Agriculture and Cooperation Surendra Mohan informed that as many as 60,925 cooperative societies are currently functioning in Telangana.
Mohan further stated that to diversify rural economic activities, Telangana cooperative union is developing 311 PACS into Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), enabling farmers to gain better access to markets, value addition and collective bargaining opportunities.
He also said that the government is in the process of formulating a comprehensive State Cooperative Policy which will help promote professional management, financial sustainability, digital transformation and expansion of cooperative activities into emerging sectors.
