Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, during his visit to Panchkula on Wednesday, unveiled a series of significant initiatives aimed at bolstering Haryana's cooperative sector. The event, a Mega Cooperative Conference, was also attended by Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.
Grand Tribute to Atal Bihari Vajpayee
One of the key highlights of the day was the unveiling of a majestic statue of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The statue, standing at a total height of 56 feet from the natural ground level, features a 15-foot high pedestal. Remarkably, the Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority (PMDA) completed this project within a span of 25 days. Alongside the statue, Amit Shah inaugurated the newly developed Atal Park.
Digital Inaugurations and Key Distributions
From Panchkula, the Union Minister digitally inaugurated multiple projects across the state. These included a milk chilling centre at Salempur in Bhiwani district and the HAFED flour mill at Jatusana in Rewari district. He also launched the IYC (International Year of Cooperatives) portal developed by the Ministry of Cooperation.
In a move to directly benefit individuals, Shah distributed RuPay Platinum debit cards to five beneficiaries of Haryana State Cooperative Banks. He further handed over registration certificates to the presidents of two newly established Multi-Purpose Agricultural Cooperative Societies (MPACS) set up by KRIBHCO in the state. The event also saw the release of an annual publication based on IYC-related events, prepared by KRIBHCO.
Zero-Interest Loan Boost for Grassroots Cooperatives
In a major announcement to strengthen the cooperative movement at the grassroots level, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini declared that Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) in Haryana will now be eligible for loans up to Rs 15 lakh at zero percent interest. These loans will be facilitated through cooperative banks.
To incentivize timely repayment, the Haryana government will provide a 10 percent interest subvention to those PACS that repay their loans on time. This initiative is expected to provide substantial financial relief and operational support to local agricultural cooperatives.
The conference underscored the central and state government's combined focus on empowering the cooperative sector, which is seen as a vital pillar for rural and agricultural development in Haryana.
