Cooperative elections by June, says minister

PATNA: Cooperative minister Veena Shahi has said that elections to cooperative societies of the state, right from primary level to apex level, will be completed by June. These societies were superseded in 1988.
Talking to mediapersons here on Wednesday, she said that the election schedule has already been announced by the registrar of the cooperative societies.This will help the cooperatives to function democratically. Elections have already been completed for 3,556 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), 195 Vyapar Mandals, 168 fisheries’ societies and 1,572 milk producers’ societies, she stated, adding that there are 12 apex cooperative societies in the state.
Secretary of cooperative societies Amitabh Verma and registrar Sudhir Kumar were also present at the Press briefing.
Shahi said that the cooperatives Act has already been amended to provide better democratic shape and autonomy to cooperative societies for their smooth functioning.
Admitting that the Bihar Cooperative Federation has not been performing the expected leading role and facing financial crisis, she said that it collected Rs 20 lakh during 2002-03, which was the highest in the last 14 years. Draft rules for general and banking business have been prepared, in which provision for deposit guarantee scheme has been made, she added.