Protesters lock offices of Registrar of Cooperative Societies
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, August 19 2021:
Demanding delivery of benefits of Integrated Cooperative Development Project (ICDP) to all cooperative societies operating in the state, members of various cooperative societies on Thursday locked up offices of the Registrar of Cooperative Societies.
The women members of the said societies thronged the Registrar of Cooperative Societies and sealed offices of the registrar, deputy registrar and audit section.
Regarding the impromptu agitation, Karam Awang Leikai Handloom and Handicrafts Cooperative Society Limited secretary Karam Memi said that the project had been approved by the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) and meant to provide benefits while setting up different cooperative societies.
NCDC had also sent a reminder to the state government on the matter.
However, the state government has yet to take up the project although the central government had already implemented the same in 2018, especially when the only job of the state government is to act as the guarantor, she conveyed.
"If the government does not want to approve the project, the department concerned should stop summoning the coopera tive societies and forcing the weavers to maintain a balance sheet in the name of the project.
The weavers, who have been living a simple life, are forced to face difficulties for registration as a society," she lamented.
Mema continued that relevant documents have already been furnished and a memorandum submitted to the CM in this regard.
However, no positive response has been provided till date.
Thus, offices of the Cooperative Society have no reason to exist if they cannot help pave the way for societies to survive, she asserted to justify Thursday's protest of locking up the offices.