Highlighting that ‘Cooperative Societies’ is a State subject under the Constitution, a parliamentary standing committee has advised the newly created Cooperation Ministry, which is headed by Amit Shah, to “exercise utmost prudence” in chalking out activities and programmes at the national level so that federal features of the country are not “impinged upon”. The Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing, headed by BJP member P C Gaddigoudar, stated this in its report tabled in Lok Sabha Thursday. The committee’s advice is significant as the ministry, formed in July 2021, is in the process of drafting a new national cooperation policy. The ministry has prepared the Multi State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022, to amend the Multi State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002, and it is expected to be cleared by the Union Cabinet soon. Observing that the subject 'Cooperative Societies' is a State subject included in Item No. 32 of List-II (State List) in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, the committee said, “The Cooperative Societies registered under the State Cooperation Societies Acts are governed by the concerned Registrars of Cooperative Societies. Many Cooperative Institutions have also been set up under the State Cooperative Laws for the promotion of Cooperative Societies.” “Taking into account all these factors, the Committee, while lauding the efforts and initiatives of the Government for strengthening the Cooperative Movement in the country, express the view that the Ministry of Cooperation shall exercise utmost prudence in chalking out its Activities/Schemes/Programmes at National Level so that the federal features of country are not impinged upon and all the stakeholders in the Cooperative Sector are duly benefitted,” the committee said in its report. Stating that the ministry is presently functioning from “temporary” office accommodations at different places with an actual staff strength of 43, the committee has urged the Cooperation Ministry to take “time-bound action” to resolve issues relating to establishment matters. The committee also recommended that the ministry "persistently pursue for posting of more and more staff to the Ministry till it gets its total sanctioned strength of manpower”. Appreciating the new policy initiatives of the ministry, the committee hoped that the New National Cooperation Policy will be evolved after thorough analysis of issues and corrective remedial measures finalised through wider consultations with all stakeholders in the sector. According to the report, the ministry has informed the committee that it had received responses from 35 stakeholders, including 10 ministries and 6 states. “After due consultation with all stakeholders, we intend to finalise ‘New Cooperation Policy’ within the calendar year 2022 to realize the aim of ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’,” the report said.
