GENERAL COUNCIL MEETING OF NCDC HELD
RAJNATH
SINGH CALLS FOR INSTITUTIONALISING COOPERATIVE SECTOR REFORMS
The
Agriculture Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh has stressed the need
to institutionalise cooperative sector reforms. He was addressing
the 57th meeting of the General Council of the National
Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) here today. Shri Rajnath
Singh is also the President of the NCDC Council. He also stressed
the need to make the cooperative movement strong and vibrant to
enable it to face the challenges of free trade and competition.
The Minister said that cooperatives have to be more professionally
managed, become economically viable and work like business entities.
Referring to NCDC’s reduction in lending rates of interest which
now range between 9 per cent and 11.5 per cent, the Minister urged
the Corporation to explore possibilities of further bringing down
interests rates. He said, this would enable NCDC to have a competitive
edge over other financial institutions.
Shri
Rajnath Singh also mentioned the new initiatives of the Corporation.
These include a Central Sector Scheme for Women Cooperatives which
has a substantial subsidy component. He called upon the NCDC to
diversify its activities.
Highlighting
the performance of the Corporation for 2002-03, the Minister said
that the Corporation disbursed funds of Rs. 515.19 crore during
the year, bringing its cumulative assistance so far to Rs.7097
crore. The Corporation also sanctioned projects aggregating to
Rs.613.74 crore during the period. NCDC’s major thrust during
the year was on agro-processing cooperatives, cooperatives of
weaker sections and the primary level societies covered under
the Integrated Cooperative Development Programme (ICDP).
Addressing
the meeting, the Managing Director of NCDC, Shri Dinesh Rai said
that the Corporation has taken steps to enlarge its operations
in newly created States of Uttaranchal , Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
It has opened three new Regional Directorates at Dehradun, Raipur
and Ranchi. Shri Rai said that the Corporation would like to enter
new areas of education, healthcare. transportation, tourism, hospitality,
media and communications, information technology and rural housing,
etc.
The
meeting was also addressed by the Minister of State for Agriculture
Shri Hukumdeo Narayan Yadav. The Agriculture Secretary, Shri R.C.A.Jain
also attended the meeting.
