IFFCO Managing Director Dr U S Awasthi has called for making a ‘Super Cooperative Platform’ for raising the voice of the cooperative sector before the government. Dr Awasthi said this while giving the valedictory address in a webinar organized by Sahakar Bharati on Thursday.
“This platform should be headed by Suresh Prabhu and members should be Chandrapal Singh Yadav, Satish Marathe, Dileep Sanghani, Jyotindra Mehta and Uday Joshi”, the IFFCO MD suggested.
“Cooperatives are neglected despite them rising to occasion in all national crises. Even in the package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi there is no relief meant for the co-ops”, said Awasthi. The Government has sanctioned funds to NBFCs but there is no fund for credit cooperatives who are doing praiseworthy work”, he added.
Awasthi said when we talk about MSMEs then there are several small cooperatives including handlooms and others that exist in the country but no relief has been given to them. The Government has talked about small banks, payment banks but has said not a single word for cooperative banks. Is it that they need no relief in the current situation”, he asked.
He further added that cooperatives have played an important role in this crisis situation. Scores of cooperatives including IFFCO are active at ground level and helping the needy in the best possible ways.
IFFCO has provided masks, sanitizers, soaps, essential item kits and others to more than 5.50 lakh farmers. More than 1.5 million masks have been distributed even in remote areas.