Govt to promote cooperative activities in rural areas

New Delhi: In a move aimed at doubling farmers' income, the government is aiming to tap the potential in the co-operative sector by launching a dedicated programme with an annual outlay of Rs 100 crore to promote co-operative activities in rural areas.

The programme christened as Yuva Sahakar - Cooperative Enterprise Support and Innovation Scheme 2019 would have special focus on co-operatives in north-eastern states, aspirational districts and co-operatives with 100

per cent women/SC/ST/PwD members.

The initiative that has been taken by the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) is on lines of Start-Up India and Stand-Up India programmes. According to a senior official, the scheme aims at motivating newly formed co-operative societies with innovative ideas. youth to enrol them under different co-operatives or form co-operatives for the promotion of their products.

Under the Yuva Sahakar programme, the projects would be supported by the NCDC under two different categories. As per the scheme, any co-operative society in northeastern region would be funded under the 80:20 debt pattern in category A.

The societies operating in aspirational districts and having all its members as women and PwDs would also be covered under the Category A.

Under Category B, the projects would be funded under 70:30 debt pattern. The scheme would be launched on Friday at maiden India International Cooperatives Trade Fair'(IICTF).