A group of senior IAS officials along with the Chairman of NCCF had a series of brain storming meetings to thrash out a revival package and a revival strategy to bring the apex consumers cooperative federation on the highway of prosperity and viability.
The working group has submitted its report to the Ministry and is expecting cabinet approval of the same soon.
Talking to Indiancooperative.com, Mr. Virendra Singh, Chairman of NCCF said that once the proposal is passed by the Cabinet, it would mean a new beginning for NCCF. Since the revival strategy is being framed at govt initiative, there is no reason to believe that it will not be accepted.
The report talks of Rs 650 crores of packages which will help the Federation to begin many new projects.
According to NCCF Chairman, the federation plans to have retail outlets in several states. It has already firmed up projects for 12 retail stores. These stores will primarily sell agricultural produce with sprinkling of common consumer products as well.
It proposes to open up processing unit for dal in Nagpur, for paddy in three states of Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and West Bengal and for rice in Andhra Pradesh.
The need for owning processing unit arose from the fact that mill owners makes money on various pretext while processing the whole grain thus denying the consumers the real benefit, says Mr Singh.
Readers may be aware that in a short of coup NCCF has bagged the award to procure pulses and oilseeds under the minimum support price scheme along with Nafed and FCI.
On the name of cooperative solidarity he was also arm twisted to refuse this offer on the ground of weakening another cooperative federation Nafed.
With nafed fortunes out in the dumps, the government is focusing more on the NCCF.
Indian cooperative columns have also raised the issue of massive waste of food grains in India and it had also predicted a bright future for nccf given the limitation of choices before the government.