Govt to announce new cooperative policy in next 2-3 months: Coop secretary

The new National Cooperative Policy is almost ready and will be announced in the next 2-3 months, a top cooperation ministry official said on Monday. "We are in the last stage of finalising the new national cooperative policy. The policy will be announced in the next 2-3 months," Cooperation Secretary Ashish Kumar Bhutani told reporters on the sidelines of an event. A 47-member committee, headed by former Union minister Suresh Prabhu, has prepared the draft policy after consultation with stakeholders. "Now, further discussions are being held to finalise the policy," he added. The Secretary also informed that around 65,000 functional Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) will be computerised by February next year. The New National Cooperation Policy aims to realise the vision of 'Sahakar se Samriddhi', promoting the cooperative-based economic development model, strengthening the cooperative movement in the country and deepening its reach up to the grassroots.