Minister for Cooperatives, Chering Dorjay today said that the State Government is working on a comprehensive roadmap to revitalize the Cooperative movement in Ladakh region for which several steps for streamlining the Department are afoot under Integrated Cooperative Development Project (ICDP) and NABARD. He said that Governments aims to provide people at grass root level easy access to the benefits of state and centrally sponsored schemes.The Minister stated this while chairing a review meeting convened to take stock of the working of Cooperative Department Kargil here today.While reiterating the commitment of the present dispensation to boost the Cooperative movement in the twin districts of Ladakh region in view of their huge potential to generate employment through the establishment of profit generating Cooperative Societies, he said that under NCDC and NABARD detailed DPRs have been formulated by the Department for establishment of profit making units in apricot processing and sea buck thorn processing, dairy and poultry farming and other sectors.The Minister further said that efforts are also on for creation of durable cooperative assets like consumer stores, fertilizer godowns, cooperatives societies etc. in all blocks of Ladakh region. He said that a proposal for the establishment of a 500 metric tonne capacity cold storage at Kargil in is in the active consideration of the government which shall be funded under ICDP and NABARD.
Earlier, Dorjay visited the Fruit Growers Cooperative Unit at Kharoul and took stock of its functioning. The members of the society demanded setting up of cold storage and installation of submersible pump at the unit. The Minister assured the members that their demands would be fulfilled in a time bound manner and directed the concerned officers to frame DPRs for the execution of required works under (ICDP). The Minister particularly stressed on generating awareness regarding the modern techniques and new developments in the Cooperative Sector and gave on spot directions to the concerned officers for the conduct of training and awareness programmes. He assured that the present regime will leave no stone unturned to streamline the functioning of the Cooperative Sector in the State.He also took a comprehensive assessment of the working of the Cooperative Sector in Kargil District.The Minister was apprised about the functioning of the cooperative societies, consumer cooperative stores, primary agriculture societies, meat dealer cooperatives, fruit dealer cooperatives, primary agriculture credit societies etc. Several issues with regard to the organizational matters also came up for discussion. Registrar Cooperatives Peer Hafeezullah Shah, Deputy Registrar SCARDB Ghulam Mehdi, Deputy Registrar Cooperatives Kargil Muhammad Sadiq besides other officers were also present in the meeting.Later, the Minister also visited newly constructed structure of Cooperative Super Bazar at Kargil town and took stock of its suitability for the establishment of shops etc. by the cooperative units. He directed the officers to give finishing touches to the structure within the stipulated time so that it is fit for use at the earliest.