The fourth meeting of the committee constituted to formulate Maharashtra’s Cooperative Policy was held at the Head Office of the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSC Bank) in Mumbai on Wednesday. Recommendations submitted by six sub-committees were presented and discussed as part of the ongoing exercise to shape the state’s cooperative roadmap.
The meeting, which lasted around an hour, was attended by nearly 37 participants, including government officials, committee members and representatives of the cooperative sector. While the policy has not yet been finalised, it was decided that the draft would be placed in the public domain to invite suggestions before its finalisation.
Each of the six sub-committees, headed by designated chairpersons, presented its report. Among those associated with the exercise were Satish Marathe, Vidyadhar Anaskar, who contributed to discussions on fundamental aspects and innovation, and Suhas Patwardhan, who headed the housing-related committee.
Speaking to Indian Cooperative, senior cooperative leader Satish Marathe suggested that the proposed policy should prioritise self-regulation, capital formation and faster recovery mechanisms. He pointed out that Maharashtra has several lakh cooperative societies, making it difficult for the Cooperation Department to address the issues of every institution individually. He therefore proposed establishing sector-specific Self-Regulatory Organisations (SROs), particularly for credit cooperatives, to strengthen governance and supervision.
Marathe also stressed the need for dedicated capital provisions in the policy, suggesting that new financial instruments should be introduced to facilitate capital support for cooperative institutions. He further highlighted the slow and cumbersome recovery process in Maharashtra, calling for reforms to make recovery faster and more effective so that cooperative institutions can recover their outstanding dues without unnecessary delays.
Another important proposal discussed was the introduction of cooperative values at the school level. MSC Bank has prepared a draft cooperative prayer incorporating cooperative principles, with the objective of familiarising students with the cooperative movement from an early age. Suggestions were invited on the draft, which is proposed to be formally launched by the Chief Minister.
The committee has decided to place the draft policy in the public domain for 15 days to invite feedback from stakeholders and the general public. After examining the suggestions, another meeting will be convened to finalise the policy.
The meeting was attended by State Cooperation Minister Babasaheb Patil, Minister Jayakumar Rawal, Pankaj Bhoir, Vivek Jugade, Satish Marathe, Suhas Patwardhan and senior government officials. Representatives from the Cooperation Department and the Cooperative Sugar Commissionerate were also present.
The policy-making exercise has been underway for nearly eight months, with Wednesday’s meeting marking the fourth round of deliberations.
