Submitting the blueprint of the much awaited New Co-operative Policy to the Cooperation Ministry, the committee headed by former union minister Suresh Prabhu has sought time from Union Minister Amit Shah for any last ditch changes.
Meanwhile, media speculation about the new policy being announced this very month goes on unabated. The Indian Cooperative tried to find the status of the draft and came to know that as per the directions of the minister to gather feedback from all quarters, the Committee has held several meetings across the four zones. Prabhu himself has been present in all such meetings, sources add.
“We are ready with our draft and have in fact submitted the final report to the Ministry. The Minister will see the report when he finds time and may call us for further discussions”, said a member of the Committee on condition of anonymity.
Talking to the Indian Cooperative, NCUI President and an important member of the Committee Dileep Sanghani said “we expect a call from the minister any time now and leaving everything behind we will rush to Delhi to seek the final clearance”, said Sanghani stressing the importance of the NCP for the co-op movement of the country.
Several members of the 49-member committee echoed Sanghani’s view and disclosed to the Indian Cooperative that the draft is nearly complete, awaiting approval from Shah before its official announcement.
The Indian Cooperative has closely followed the developments surrounding the NCP Panel meetings, reporting that Vamnicom, responsible for the policy preparation document, conducted regional workshops across the country to gather feedback from cooperators on the draft proposal.
The draft document incorporates significant recommendations provided by cooperators during the national workshop. The National Cooperative Policy, a long-standing initiative of the Ministry, aims to establish the groundwork for a robust cooperative movement, transcending state and regional boundaries.
To ensure diverse representations, the Ministry has included members from all states in the Draft Committee, with the policy setting a strategic roadmap for cooperatives over the next 25 years.
Dileep Sanghani, a Panel member, emphasized that the policy has the potential to significantly impact India’s socio-economic landscape, increasing the cooperative sector’s contribution to the GDP. The overarching objective is to foster cooperative-based economic development supported by a sound legal and institutional framework.
Key recommendations encompass structural reforms and governance, promoting cooperatives as dynamic economic entities, ensuring a level playing field, addressing capital and funding sources, prioritizing inclusion of marginalized sections, leveraging technology, enhancing skills and training, emphasizing sustainability, and outlining a comprehensive implementation plan.
The NCP’s ultimate goal is to get aligned with the Prime Minister’s vision of “Sahakar se Samriddhi” (Prosperity through Cooperation).