Coming down heavily on cooperative leaders of the country Union Cooperation Minister Sharad Pawar asked them to mend ways if they have to survive.
Comprising of over six lakh societies, cooperative sector suffers from “dependency syndrome” that has prevented it from functioning in a democratic and professional manner, he said.
Union Agriculture Minister was caustic on the country’s cooperative sector for sponging off the government and described this tendency as harmful to its interests.
Mr Pawar expressed this view when he was addressing the national meet on cooperatives in the capital.
India’s cooperative sector is the largest in the world with members of 250 million in six lakh cooperatives working almost in every field of business, particularly in agriculture.
According to the minister, the dependency syndrome can be put down to a host of factors including snags in the cooperative laws.
The abnormal tendency has prevented the cooperative sector from professionalizing and modernizing adequately.
Former President Abdul Kalam who also addressed the conference exhorted the cooperative leaders to work with honesty and integrity and suggested formulation of a policy framework that enables the cooperative organisations to work more effectively.
Some cooperative organisations including Amul in Gujarat were the aim of his favourable remarks.