Leh, March 12: The Chief Secretary and Chairperson of the State Cooperative Development Committee (SCDC), Dr. Pawan Kotwal, chaired a meeting at Civil Secretariat Leh to review the preparations for the celebration of the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) in Ladakh. The meeting was hosted by the Administrative Secretary Cooperative Department, Bhupesh Chaudhary.
The Additional Registrar of Cooperatives, UT Ladakh, Syed Sajjad Qadri, gave a detailed presentation covering multiple key agendas, including the formation of the District Cooperative Development Committee and the State Cooperative Development Committee, the annual activity calendar for IYC celebrations, planning, execution, and monitoring of state-level events, unveiling of the IYC logo, events organized under IYC, and the appointment of nodal officers at both district and UT levels.
The meeting discussed appointment of a nodal officer for media coverage, the usage of the IYC commemorative stamp and logo, progress tracking and impact assessment, budget utilization, the committee’s operational duration, and proposals for additional member inclusion and budgetary provisions.
The Additional Registrar of Cooperatives also provided insights into the ongoing initiatives, such as the computerization of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), the establishment of PACS-based dairy and fisheries cooperative societies, the regularization of defunct PACS, and the convergence of PACS into Multipurpose PACS (MPACS).
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary officially launched the annual activity calendar for the celebration of IYC across Ladakh. He underscored the crucial role of cooperatives in fostering sustainable economic growth, self-reliance, and rural development. He urged all stakeholders to work in a coordinated manner to ensure the successful celebration of the International Year of Cooperatives, making it a milestone event for Ladakh’s cooperative sector.
The Chief Secretary directed that the IYC logo and commemorative stamp should be used on all official correspondence of the Administration of UT Ladakh. He further instructed the concerned officials to work towards reviving defunct PACS by adhering to defined criteria and setting clear targets for their restoration, they need to be revived as per the Ministry’s guidelines. In this regard, the Chief Secretary instructed the officials to share revival plan.
The committee expressed commitment to actively contribute to the success of the International Year of Cooperatives and ensure that Ladakh’s cooperative sector receives the recognition it deserves on the national and international stage.
Further, he emphasized the need to explore the potential of fishery cooperative societies in Ladakh and instructed the department to formulate a strategic plan to promote fisheries in the region.
The meeting was attended by the Administrative Secretary of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj; the Administrative Secretary of the Cooperative Department, Bhupesh Chaudhary; the Additional Registrar of Cooperative Societies; the Director of Animal Husbandry & Fisheries; the Chief General Manager of NABARD; the Managing Director of J&K State Cooperative Bank; and concerned representatives from the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC). General Manager of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), representatives from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), and the Chairman of the UT Dairy Cooperative Federation. Officers stationed outside Ladakh participated in the meeting virtually.
