|
Book Review
The cooperative movement
S. VYDHIANATHAN
CENTENARY OF THE COOPERATIVE MOVEMENT IN TAMIL NADU WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO 2004-2005:
R. Kannan; Pub. by Tamilnadu Cooperative Union, 170, Periyar EVR Road, Kilpauk, Chennai-600010. Rs. 600.
It is unfortunate that the cooperative movement in India, which is 100 years old, is passing through a difficult phase. Gone are the days when cooperative sugar mills, spinning mills, banks and supermarkets in Tamil Nadu were models to the entire country. Now the majority of the cooperative institutions, especially spinning mills, sugar mills and supermarkets are facing financial crisis. The same situation prevails throughout the country except in a few states.
The advent of globalisation and liberalisation has forced cooperatives to face multiple challenges of a market-oriented economy. Besides, over a period of years, the movement has become politicised with politicians replacing genuine people interested in the cooperative movement. Now wresting control of cooperative societies has become a political prestige. This, in turn, has led to alleged inclusion of bogus members in a majority of cooperative societies with the connivance of a `pliable bureaucrat' at the time of cooperative elections.
Hence, if the cooperative movement has to sustain, a clean break from the past has to be introduced in the management of cooperative societies, which the author has stressed in this book. This book is largely an outcome of his studies during his tenure as Registrar of Cooperatives and from his personal experience. He has critically examined the present governance structure of the cooperative movement, especially the cooperative credit system.
He has rightly pointed out that in the absence of institutional credit, many poor and marginal farmers in the State would have become victims of private moneylenders. After seeing symptoms of deep-rooted malaise in credit flow to farmers, he initiated a new focus and management initiatives to face the challenges. For this he stresses the need for transparency lest people suspect credit distribution itself.
The author also deals with the history of the cooperatives, problems related to credit and banking, policy and operational aspects related to the functioning of cooperatives, especially with relation to credit in Tamil Nadu, and the public distribution system.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Book Review
|
