Co-operative sector has sought concession on provisions such as IT Exemption and level-playing field in the matter of tax on the dividend earnings from foreign countries in the pre-budget consultations with Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in New Delhi on Monday.
It was the turn of farmer groups and co-operative sector where Dr US Awasthi, MD of IFFCO and Dr Dinesh, Chief Executive of NCUI , among others presented their views. Nafed Chairman was also invited but he did not attend.
Though Dr Awasthi could not be contacted he is said to have made a strong pitch for DBT in fertilizer- an issue he has been raising extensively in social media as well.
Explaining the blue-print of implementing DBT in fertilizer IFFCO Managing Director U S Awasti suggested the
industry will upload the data of actual user of fertiliser on the fertiliser monitoring system platform for the next one year. He also promised to make available Jan Dhan and Aadhar account number, quoted PTI.
Fertiliser industry body FAI led by Satish Chandra sought introduction of direct transfer of urea subsidy to farmers and higher budget allocation for next three years to clear arrears of Rs 50,000 crore.
NCUI Chief Executive Dr Dinesh made a strong case for exemption of income tax on profit made by cooperatives. Talking to Indian Cooperative Dr Dinesh said” I asked for four things-IT exemption, level-playing field in the matter of dividend earnings from foreign countries for cooperatives, need to extend field-projects across the states and 
applying FEMA rule on cooperatives at par with corporate.
For empowerment of farmers and for achieving sustainable agricultural growth we need to extend NCUI’s Field Projects in every nook and corner of the country, Dr Dinesh is said to have advocated.
Besides NCUI, IFFCO and FAI the pre-budget consultations were attended by Consortium of Indian Farmers Association (CIFA), Bharat Krishak Samaj (BKS) Chairman Ajay Vir Jakhar, representatives of National Dairy Development Board, United Planters’ Association of Southern India, Raju Shetty from Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana and two scientists.
