Tatsat Chronicle Magazine

Multipurpose Women’s Cooperatives to be Set up in Karnataka Talukas

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai also announced a milk producers' bank with an intention to ensure that the profit goes to milk producers
March 21, 2022
A group of Indian women farmers Karnataka Spice Value Chain Development. Photo Credit- Wikimedia Commons

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Sunday that multi-purpose women’s cooperative societies would be established in each taluk of the state with 90 percent state government participation.

The chief minister was speaking at the Sahakar Ratna award function organised by the Karnataka State Cooperative Union Limited, Karnataka State Housing Cooperative Society and the Department of Cooperation.

Bommai also announced a milk producers’ bank.

“Milk cooperative societies in the state have annual revenue of ₹36,000 crore. The state government has decided to establish a milk producers bank with an intention to ensure that the profit goes to milk producers. An allocation of ₹100 crore has been made in the budget to establish this Ksheera Samridhi Bank. Orders in this regard would be issued soon,” Bommai said.

“The Yeshasvini programme (a cooperative health care scheme) has been reintroduced for the farmers. The state government is bearing the ₹12,000-crore power bill of farmers’ pump sets which is a result of our senior leader BS Yediyurappa’s far-sighted vision for farmers’ welfare. Under the Prime Minister’s Krishi Samman Yojana, the state and Union governments are paying ₹2,800 crore annually for 45 lakh farmers in the state,” Bommai said.

Bommai further suggested that the cooperative sector could be an effective alternative to capitalism or communism. “The cooperatives should not become bosses. They should make way for others on completion of their term. The cooperative sector should remain cooperative. It is not wrong to say that the cooperative sector is the answer to capitalism and communism,” he added.