Bhubaneswar: Odisha Government has set in motion a pro-active strategy for delivery of Crop Insurance and Agricultural Marketing Services through the Co-operative system in the State.
Secondly, all out efforts will be made to improve financial condition of the Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PAC)s with NABARD’s Business Development Plan.
And most importantly use of Information Technology (IT) to boost Co-opratives and promotion of IT Co-operative Society is on cards.
For which a Road Map is being chalked out as the State Government is mulling to expand the role of Department of Co-operation considerably in near future.
Under 5T Framework, the service delivery will be on transparent mode with efficiency in public service to be done in a time bound manner, senior officials of Department of Co-operation say.
Principal Secretary Cooperation Sanjeev Chadha has asked the officials of the Department of Co-operation to keep manpower and infrastructure in readiness to handle future challenges for implementing these services.
Mr.Chadha, a hyperactive mandarin is busy in chalking out the Road map for multifarious activities, which will be spearheaded by the Department of Co-operation, officials say.
Crop Insurance and Agricultural Marketing Services will be provided after introduction of new schemes, new Act and new Rules are in place, for which steps are being taken up, officials say.
While reviewing the Fiscal Health of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PAC)s, he pointed out that NABARD has developed a Business Development Plan for PACs.
Fiscal health of PACs are not up to mark and these institutions need quite a lot for improvement and unless done in a time bound manner, their financial conditions will be alarming, apprehend officials.
This Plan can be customized to fit in to the specific needs of the PACs by a team of officials in each district within one month, directed Principal Secretary Co-operation.
PACs are to be made “One Stop Shop” in the rural areas of the State. PACs should cater to the multiple needs of rural people and in the process generate income from different activities for their sustainability.
So far IT Co-operative is concerned; Odisha State Co-operative Bank (OSCB) is mulling to form such a Co-op Society to cater to the needs of IT based solutions to different problems which are being faced by Department of Co-operation, its directorates and different Co-operative Institutions.
Services like Core banking, ATMs, Mobile applications, NEFT Transfer Services, Software Projects, System Integration, Software Development can be taken up by the IT Co-op by roping in technocrats, IT Professional, and Management Experts, officials say.
Registrar Co-operative Societies (RCS) Odisha is advised to promote such a Co-operative Society in the interest of Technology based development of Co-operatives in the State.
IT Co-operative society will propagate Information Technology in business development, which is now essential for the success of the endeavor, officials say.
This is because, the Co-operative Organizations are becoming less effective in absence of IT based solutions, admit officials.