CM announces cash awards to boost cooperative movement in Sikkim

PAKYONG,  (IPR): Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang-Golay attended the State-level Conference on Promotion and Development of Cooperatives in Sikkim at the conference hall of Sikkim State Cooperative Union (SICUN) on Saturday.

The programme was organised by the National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI), New Delhi, in collaboration with the Sikkim State Cooperative Union (SICUN) and Cooperation department.

The event was also graced by the Deputy Speaker, Sikkim Legislative Assembly; political secretary to the CM; cabinet ministers; MLAs; advisors; heads of departments; heads of offices; dignitaries from various APEX organisations, along with officials from various line departments and members from different cooperative societies.

In his address, the Chief Minister underlined the importance of the cooperative movement as crucial for India's economic future. He highlighted how this movement can foster inclusivity and enhance economic resilience in rural areas. Additionally, he shared the Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, along with the National Cooperation Policy 2025, which aims to support the development of the cooperative sector and boost rural economic growth and empower the women and youth within this sector.

In addition, he cited the example of Sikkim Milk Union and its achievements in the cooperative sector, highlighting how the APEX body has thrived in the sector through collaborative efforts.

During the event, he also announced that the best cooperative society across the State would be rewarded with Rs. 10 lakh, Rs. 7 lakh and Rs. 5 lakh, respectively. Earlier, he also launched the SICUN e-commerce portal and visited the stalls, wherein various cooperative societies had displayed their products.

During the event, Minister for RDD and Cooperation department, Arun Kumar Upreti, highlighted the vision of ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’, an initiative which strengthens the cooperative movement in the country, enhancing the performance, productivity and profitability of cooperative societies. He also stressed the various initiatives under NCUI which foster capacity-building training and provide education to flourish in the cooperative sector.

Highlighting NCUI, chairman of NCUI, Dileep Sanghani informed that it is an apex body of the Indian cooperative movement, underscoring its significant progress in fostering cooperative education and training in various cooperative sectors. He then encouraged the stakeholders to strengthen cooperative initiatives in rural areas across the state and work towards the vision of making cooperatives a source of social and economic transformation. Further, he also assured to provide necessary assistance in the new revolution of cooperation for the State.

Likewise, SICUN chairman MangalJit Rai stressed the need to strengthen the State cooperative movement and share the challenges and obstacles faced, further assuring that the organisation would work in tandem and strengthen the movement.

Emphasising the numerous initiatives and experiments of the organisation, NCUI CEO Dr Sudhir Mahajan shared key insights on boosting the cooperative society. He acknowledged the potential of the organic State and suggested working in sectors like organic items, eco-tourism, and aromatic plants to enhance the economic benefit of the State.

President of the International Cooperative Alliance Asia and Pacific (ICA-AP), Dr Chandrapal Singh Yadav, stated that cooperative sectors have empowered women and progressive farmers in every sector, providing them with a source of employment. He further shed light on the establishment of India's first cooperative university, Tribhuvan Cooperative University, which will serve the interests of cooperative farmers and consumers and empower the dairy, fisheries, and banking cooperative societies.

A presentation on the Cooperation department on IYC-25 was also showcased by secretary, Cooperation department, Gloria Namchu, highlighting various works undertaken by the department.

Furthermore, winners of the one-day State level youth workshop on cooperation (Cooperative Olympiad) were also felicitated, followed by a technical session led by NCUI.