Punjab and Haryana ‘elder brothers,’ must help HP settle interstate issues: Sukhu

“Himachal Pradesh had to fight for its rightful share on several issues. Despite the expiry of the lease period of the Shanan Hydroelectric Project situated in Himachal Pradesh, it was not given back to the state by Punjab, and arrears due from the BBMB had also been delayed due to obstructions posed by Punjab and Haryana, despite a Supreme Court decision. Punjab and Haryana are our elder brothers, and they should extend support generously to their younger brother,” Sukhu said, speaking at the valedictory session of the two-day national cooperative conference in Shimla Sunday.

Sukhu also inaugurated the Cyber Security Operations Centre of the Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Bank, besides launching the bank’s cooperative anthem and releasing a souvenir.

Extending his greetings on the successful event, the chief minister said despite challenging geography and small land holdings, cooperatives in Himachal had been playing a crucial role in strengthening the rural economy.

The CM recalled, “The cooperative movement in Himachal began in 1904 and received a major boost after full statehood in 1971. Currently, over 5,000 cooperative societies are active in the state, including nearly 2,000 primary agricultural credit societies that provide essential financial services to farmers and rural households.”
Responding to a request from Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, Sukhu assured that the state government would consider providing relaxations under Section 118 to cooperative societies for purchasing land for business purposes.

The CM also asked the State Cooperative Bank to introduce a one-time settlement policy to help small farmers, orchardists, workers and traders become debt-free.

Sukhu said the state government dissolved the Board of Kangra Central Cooperative Bank due to irregularities during the previous regime and reaffirmed that it would “not tolerate misuse of public resources”.

He said the Congress government was bringing major reforms in education, health and the rural economy sectors.

Uttarakhand Cooperative Minister Dhan Singh Rawat said, “Over 10 lakh farmers in Uttarakhand received agriculture loans through cooperatives, and the state aims to connect 15 lakh people with the movement, with a strong focus on women empowerment.”

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