Call to revive cooperatives for equitable growth

[Naveed Yaseen]

THERE is a need to revive cooperatives, which played an important role in the economic development of the country after its independence, to ensure equitable and sustained growth.

This was stated on Saturday by Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal while addressing a seminar on the importance of cooperatives in the current scenario. The seminar was organised by Mir Khalilur Rahman Memorial Society at a local hotel.

Rana Iqbal said that agricultural and rural development in the country was facilitated by the cooperatives for over three decades. Unfortunately, he said, some unscrupulous elements tainted the reputation of cooperatives in 90’s that led to the ban new cooperatives. He said cooperatives were playing a vital role in the socio-economic development even in the developed economies. He said cooperatives had revolutionised dairy marketing in India and the availability of quality agricultural inputs at fair rates was also ensured to the Indian farmers through them. He urged the government to revive the cooperatives in the province, adding that if the cooperatives were administered with dedication, sincerity and honesty, they would help the country in getting rid of all types of foreign assistance.

Referring to the current wave of terror attacks in the country, the PA Speaker said the terrorists’ aim to destabilise Pakistan would be thwarted with the cooperation of people. He said Pakistan would emerge as a developed economy within next one decade.

Advisor to the Punjab chief minister, Saeed Mehdi, said cooperatives were a spirit, a movement that united different segments of the society to achieve a goal of betterment. He said that besides education and health, the country needed strong family planning and cooperatives to ensure a sustained growth. He said the cooperatives in the country had been limited to housing societies and added that cooperatives in agriculture, livestock and banking should be established under a strong regulatory authority.

Former Punjab Minister Gul Hameed Rokhri said there was a need to upgrade the monitoring of cooperatives through the Punjab Cooperative Department. He said the rules date back to 1925 when the cooperative concept was new. He said the 1925 rules empowered the department to regulate the cooperative affairs in order to guide and strengthen the new cooperatives into a viable institution.

Punjab Minister for Agriculture Ahmad Ali Olakh, Punjab Cooperative Department chairman Muhammad Anwar Pasha, Parliamentary Secretary Karam Elahi Bandial and MPA Ashraf Chohan also spoke.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=204965