Rural Development and panchayat, water supply and sanitation minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa exhorted the people of Punjab to join cooperative movement so as to mitigate the woes of farmers in the face ongoing agri-crisis. He was delivering his keynote address at the 64th cooperative week function. Mr. Bajwa said that cooperation movement has played a big role in the development of this country and it is need of the hour to further make this campaign a crusade. He stated that cooperative movement is not mear an endeavour to supplement the income of the famers but it is movement to strengthen the fraternity, brotherliness and above all to uphold the integrity among the countrymen.He further added that markfed,milkfed and cooperative banks have played a vital role in the development of the state but agricultural cooperative societies need more exposure and activation now a days. These societies can strengthen the economy of Punjab by offering loans and agriculture implements to farmers and financial aids to land-less farmers on low interest rates for their betterment.He revealed that Captain Amrinder Singh government is committed to spread the cooperative movment in the state for the sake of robustness of cooperative institutions. He said that unnecessary interference of government will be curbed to make these institutions self-reliant .
Highlighting the glorious past of cooperative movement in the state it is the high time the people should join this movement again to revive the virtues of this movement. He exhorted the all the employees of the state to work hard with full diligence to bring back the lost glory of the state.
He also congratulated chief minister Amrinder Singh for waiving the debt of small and marginal farmers of the state. He said, first of all the money will be sent to the accounts of the farmers who took loan from the co-operative institution and banks. He further said that 3500 Micro ATM’s will be installed in the co-operative societies and digital system would be sustained in banks and co-operative societies.Earlier, Mr. Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa inaugurated splendid co-operative bhawan which have been built with the cost of 2 Crore , 92 Lakhs near Jyoti Saroop. With the construction of this building, now co-operative bank, Markefed, Land Development Bank and many more co-operative offices would be operated from one building. He also released Co-operative bank’s souvenir “The Basic”
Rural Development Minister honoured the office-bearer of co-operative societies of Jalha, Raipur Majri, Bhaini Kalan and Khanean for their good performance. Besides, DGM H.S. Dhillon, Ghazal go Avtar Singh Pawar, International Blind Cricketer Gurbir Singh, AM Gopal Das and Manager of Co-operative bank of Sangrur Gunpreet Kaur were also honoured.Prominent amongst other who were also present included, Additional Deputy Commissioner Mr. SK Jain, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Mr. Hardyal Singh, MLA Fatehgarh Sahib Mr. Kuljit Nagra, MD Co-operative Department Dr. SK Batish, SDM Fatehgarh Sahib MR. AMrinder Singh Tiwana, DDPO Mr. Amrik Singh Sidhu, D.R. Gurpreet Singh, MD district co-operative bank APS Ghuman, Congress Leader Gursatinder Singh Jalha, Mr. Sukhraj Singh Raja, Balwinder Mavi, Charnjeet Channa, Farmer Leader Baldev Singh Damheri, Board of Director PADB Bank, The Fatehgarh Sahib central cooperative bank, Punjab State cooperative Suply and Marketing Federation and many co-operative membes with President and Secrectories of co-operative societies.