DHARAMSHALA: Himachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Cooperation Mukesh Agnihotri met Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah in New Delhi to seek increased financial support for the cooperative sector of the state.
During the meeting, Agnihotri urged the Union Minister to allocate funds for various cooperative initiatives, particularly for the computerization of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), the establishment of a State Project Management Unit (PMU) and the setting up of the Institute of Cooperative Management (ICM).
Shah assured that the Central Government would extend all possible assistance to Himachal Pradesh to facilitate funding under cooperative schemes. Discussions also included the proposal to establish an ICM in the state and the pilot launch of ‘Mahila Cooperative Haats’ to promote women’s entrepreneurship in the cooperative sector.
Agnihotri informed the Union Minister that the Himachal Pradesh government has already allocated sufficient land at Panjawar in Una and sanctioned a grant of Rs 5 crore for the establishment of the ICM.
He requested an additional Rs 10 crore in grant-in-aid from the Central Government to set up this state-of-the-art training institute. Shah responded positively, stating that the funding process would be expedited to ensure timely completion of the project.
Highlighting the progress in the computerisation of PACS, Agnihotri shared that Himachal Pradesh has made significant advancements in the initiative. In the first phase, 870 PACS were identified, out of which 647 have already been made operational under the project, with an expenditure of approximately Rs 18.57 crore.
For the second phase, 919 societies have been identified and digitisation work is currently underway. Agnihotri requested additional funds to computerize the remaining 440 PACS to achieve full coverage across the state.
In response, Shah assured that the Ministry of Cooperation would soon convene a meeting with Central and State officials to address all related issues comprehensively.
Apart from cooperative sector matters, Agnihotri brought up the pressing issue of drug abuse, particularly the spread of “chitta” in the state. He emphasised that the Himachal Pradesh government has adopted a “zero tolerance” policy to combat drug-related crimes.
He also apprised the Union Minister about the ongoing efforts against extortion and threats posed by certain criminal gangs, including details of FIRs registered in these cases. Shah requested complete details on the matter and assured the state’s concerns would be addressed.
The meeting concluded with assurances of enhanced cooperation and financial support to bolster the cooperative sector and strengthen law enforcement efforts in Himachal Pradesh.
