Excelsior Correspondent
LEH, Feb 13: The Chief Secretary of the Union Territory of Ladakh today chaired the 3rd Meeting of the State Cooperative Development Committee (SCDC) in Leh to review the progress of cooperative institutions and deliberate on measures to further strengthen the cooperative sector across the Union Territory.
The meeting undertook a comprehensive assessment of the establishment of new Multi-Purpose Agriculture Cooperative Societies (M-PACS) and the expansion of cooperative institutions in Leh and Kargil districts.
Progress achieved under Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) was also reviewed, along with proposals for setting up additional Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) in collaboration with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to enhance access to institutional credit and strengthen grassroots-level financial inclusion.
A detailed review was conducted on the functioning of PACS operating as Common Service Centres (CSCs), with emphasis on capacity building, operational challenges, low activation levels, and the need to strengthen service delivery and public outreach. The status of defunct PACS was also examined.
The Committee was informed about the revival of several non-functional societies in Kargil district and the formulation of a strategic action plan for the revival or liquidation of the remaining inactive societies to ensure optimum utilization of cooperative infrastructure.
The meeting also addressed key sectoral challenges affecting cooperative institutions in Ladakh, including inadequate cold storage and food processing infrastructure, limited market access for local and organic produce, heavy dependence on glacial meltwater for irrigation, lack of modern irrigation systems, and constrained access to credit.
Issues related to dairy development were reviewed comprehensively, covering procurement mechanisms, infrastructure support, financial assistance for dairy plant expansion, installation of bulk milk coolers, establishment of milk testing laboratories, and capacity building of farmers in scientific dairy practices.
In addition, the proposal for establishing a separate State Cooperative Bank for the Union Territory of Ladakh was discussed in detail.
The Committee examined the existing financial base, regulatory requirements, and the roadmap for securing statutory approvals and operational clearances necessary for operationalizing the bank.
The meeting was attended by Administrative Secretary Bhupesh Chaudhary, Deputy Commissioner Leh Romil Singh Donk, Deputy Commissioner Kargil Rakesh Kumar, Director Tourism Tsering Palden, senior officials from concerned departments, and officers of NABARD who joined virtually.
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