Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah chaired a review meeting regarding expansion of cooperatives in the state, in Raipur, Chhattisgarh on August 25. Amit Shah also launched Primary Agriculture Credit Society (PACS) in the 33 districts to work as Water Committees in their respective districts. On this occasion, many dignitaries including the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Vishnu Deo Sai, Union Minister of State for Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol, Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Arun Sao and Secretary of the Union Ministry of Cooperation Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani were present.
Amit Shah said that there should be a contract between NCCF, NAFED and the state for ethanol production so that farmers can be encouraged towards maize cultivation. He said that the cost in maize cultivation is also low and all the maize of the farmers will be purchased by the central government at the Minimum Support Price. Shri Shah said that 100% registration should be done by PACS on NAFED and NCCF portals for the sale of farmers’ agricultural produce.
Union Minister of Cooperation said that it should be mandatory for every trader, PACS and cooperative society of every market to open an account in the District Cooperative Central Bank. Chhattisgarh has 4 cooperative sugar mills out of which only one mill has an ethanol production plant. Shah said that multi-feed ethanol production plants should be set up in the remaining 3 cooperative sugar mills within 6 months so that ethanol can be produced from maize and sugarcane. He said, the central government will help in this regard. He said that there is a need to promote the cultivation of maize and pulses in Chhattisgarh and for this the state agriculture department should take initiative.
