Himachal flaunts cooperative model, but seeks Centre’s purse strings
SHIMLA, Sept 14 – At a review meeting of the state’s cooperative sector in Shimla, Union Minister of State for Cooperation Krishan Pal Gurjar called Himachal Pradesh “an ideal state for cooperatives,” adding that “in a diverse state like Himachal, there are immense possibilities in this field.” He also launched 121 e-PACS.
It was for the first time that the National Cooperative Conclave was held here in Shimla in which Cooperative majors from India shared their success stories.
Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, however, admitted that the state’s cooperative boom needs central funding to sustain. While pitching Himachal as the “birthplace of cooperatives,” he pressed for support to digitize Himfed and Milkfed, funds for the HIMCAPS Law College in Una, and even a rethink on the fee structure of the proposed Tribhuvan Cooperative University.
Agnihotri painted a rosy picture of the movement—20 lakh people tied to 2,287 PACS, nearly 1,000 dairy societies, 76 fishing societies and hundreds more in savings, credit, and marketing.
Yet, behind the numbers, the state is still waiting for Centre’s nod and money to modernize.
For now, Gurjar assured “every possible assistance,” stopping short of concrete commitments.