Imphal, February 10: Charting out a ten point programme for revival of cooperative movement in the State, Cooperation and Social Welfare Minister W Leima Devi today called for revitalising the cooperative movement in the State by infusing fresh ideas into the already laid guidelines.

She was speaking as a chief guest at the one day block level seminar on Cooperative Professionalisation organised by NCUI, Cooperative Education Field Project, Bishnupur in association with Kodompokpi GP Level MPCS Ltd, Kodompokpi under the sponsorship of NCUI, New Delhi held at Kodompokpi Mayai Leikai.

Kh Borkeshor Singh, president MSCU and chairman ICM, Imphal and SC Borah, Principal ICM were the president and guest of honour of the inaugural function.

Expressing her displeasure at the state of affairs of registered societies in the State, Leima said that the nodal agency for societies Manipur State Cooperative Union will be more powerful as the fate of more than 4000 societies lies on it.

For this she has charted out a ten point programme which includes apex bodies, recovery of loans and proper auditing of societies account.

While admitting that the concept of professionalism in cooperative reach late in the State, she said that it is never too late to start afresh and infused the idea to the functionaries of societies who are at the helm of affairs.

The Minister who was a Lady Instructor in the department before joining politics said that the department is in the process of assessing the works of State level, district level and primary level cooperative societies in the State and added that societies who failed to clear their fees and renewed their membership will be stuck off the list.

For effective showcasing of cooperative products in the State the department is going to held Cooperative Mela from February 18 to 28 at Mapal Kangjeibung, she said and urged all the societies to participate in the mela which is an eye opener to the State Govt, NCUI, ICDP etc.

The Minister also warned of putting restriction on loans from State share on societies who do not participate in the mela.

She said that due to non payment of loan amounting to Rs 2.24 crores by societies under ICDP, there is every likelihood of closing the project unless the loans are cleared by the societies.

Adding to the woes, the Central Government also put a blanket ban on release of second instalment of loan to the beneficiaries after it failed to clear the first installment.

She said that yarn bank and cooperative bank will be revived and societies will be provided with kind instead of cash for effective implementation.

On the holding of election in MSCU, she said that election should be held as per the guidelines laid down in the act and said that cooperators contesting election should be sincere, dedicated, hard-working.

While speaking as president, Kh Borkeshor lamented that the State Govt has not taken up any action on the numerous recommendation passed by the board members of MSCU.

On the proposed Coop Mela, he said it is hard to choose 50 societies from among more than 4000 societies for the mela and said that only 50 stalls will be opened in the mela.

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