The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Survey of villages sans co-op. bodies ordered

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Thursday, Jul 03, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Survey of villages sans co-op. bodies ordered

Special Correspondent

Villages without societies not getting loans
Deadline for Yeshaswini scheme may be extended

Bangalore: Cooperation Minister Lakshman Savadi has ordered a week-long survey to find out the number of village panchayats in the State which do not have a cooperation institution/society to provide farm loans.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Savadi said that he had information that the farmers in the jurisdiction of some village panchayats were not getting loans as they did not have any society. More over, the NABARD rules enjoined that every village panchayat should have a cooperative society for the purpose. The officers would also look into fraudulent societies in the villages.

Mr. Savadi said that societies would be started in such villages after the report on the survey was received. He said that the Karnataka Cooperative Socieities Act would be amended to meet the requirements of the Vaidyanathan Committee report, following the approval of the same by the government, some time ago. However, he said that the amendment Bill would not be tabled in the next legislature session.

Once the Act was amended, officials would not be posted to the cooperative banks and institutions and the board of directors would have full powers in administration. Those institutions, which had performed well for three years could decide on filling the vacant posts. Instead of nominating three persons, one official would be nominated to an institution which had government shares.

The Minister said that the auditors working in the Cooperation Department would be absorbed and auditing would be entrusted to chartered accountants.

All these measures would help cooperative banks compete with the private banks, he added.

The Department was contemplating extension of the deadline for registration of names to utilise the Yeshaswini Health Insurance scheme to August 31.

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