It was also perhaps after a long long time that a Union Minister bothered to grace an NCUI function. He filled the campus with energy and enthusiasm as best expressed by the NCUI president Chandra Pal Singh who said I welcome the Minister on behalf of entire cooperative fraternity.
But the new Minister raised certain points that could barely comfort the established cooperative leadership.” Participation in cooperatives is on the wane and more and more people are focusing on their families than on members of cooperatives in general. Sahbhagita in sahkar (Equitable sharing in cooperative) is being replaced by family loyalties,” Mr Singh said.
”Though jokingly only but still I called Bijender Singh as Nafed Chairman, though he is not its Chairman anymore. It reflects a perception in the general public that the same set of people continue in their position. We need to break that, added Mr Singh”.
”In the name of shaping farmers’ future there are several cases of cooperatives indulging in loot and siphoning off fund. In North India especially cooperative loan is seen not as a loan but as a donation from the government. It happens even in my village. On the basis of khata khesara farmer is given loan. There was a case in which Gandhi Maidan and the railway station in Patna were pledged as security for getting cooperative loans,’ said Shri Singh underlining the depth of sleaze cooperatives have fallen into.
In his reply to Bijender Singh’s utterances in which he talked of the lack of faith in Babus of the Ministry, the Minister said ” days of babus are over ever since Narendra Modi has taken over the captaincy of the govt. Allaying fears that babus may suggest handing over cooperatives to NGOs, the minister said let us get above the politics and focus on working together to take the cooperative movement to greater heights.”
He said ” cooperative and cooperative alone has the potential to solve the three-pronged problems of starvation, unemployment and poverty. He wanted more and more participation of women and youth in the movement. It gladdens our heart seeing the presence of youth in large numbers in the audience. India is youthful country with 65 percent population below the age of 35,” he reminded.
Of all the things, the Minister chose to congratulate NCCT for its training programme and field projects, thereby once again proving the clout of Mohan Mishra , Secretary General of NCCT.
He assured the audience that ”the Centre is serious on the 97th amendment and the matter has been taken up in all earnestness in the Supreme Court. The fact that the apex court has admitted the case proves the central government’s approach in the matter”.
Echoing Modi’s words “sabka saath sabka vikas”, [together with all development for all] Radha Mohan Singh assured that” on amendment to the Multi state cooperative act 2002 everybody’s opinion would be incorporated. The consultation is going on”, he assured.
Other speakers on the occasion included Chandra Pal Singh, Dr U S Awasthi and Bijender Singh. G H Amin proposed vote of thanks. A garland of makhana transported all the way from Madhubani district along with the famous Madhubani painting were presented to the Minister by the Biscomaun Chairman Sunil Singh.