Sivaganga
Stating that 27 Cooperative Institutions in the State had received awards for their best performance at national level, Minister for Cooperation Sellur K. Raju has said Cooperative Institutions were very strong, rendering yeoman services to the farming community and other sections of the society.
Addressing the 66th Cooperative Week celebrations here on Saturday, the Minister said cooperative banks in the State topped the country in attracting public deposits and except a few, most of the banks earned profits.
During the previous DMK government, the total public deposits in the banks were only ₹ 9 crore in five years but after the AIADMK came to power, public deposits in the banks grew to ₹ 10 crore every year, he said.
This helped the banks to extend credit facilities to individuals and farmers, he said adding many of the cooperative banks were in a position to extend low interest credit of up to ₹50,000 to a person, if he just had family card, he said.
While many of the cooperative banks were making profits, steps had been taken to rehabilitate a couple of banks, which required government support, he said. The Minister after distributing welfare assistances to the tune of ₹ 10.82 crore to 1,172 beneficiaries, listed out the credit facilities and relief, including drought relief, crop insurance and waiving of farm loans extended to the farmers in the district.
The Minister also distributed prizes to school and college students who won prizes in the oratorical and essay competitions, organised in connection with the celebrations. He also honoured best performing cooperative institutions by presenting shields.
Speaking at the function, Minister for Khadi and Village Industries G. Baskaran said cooperative institutions, including banks and primary agriculture societies, had been doing yeoman service to the farming community in the district.
Thanks to them, farmers could get agriculture implements, seeds and fertilisers freely. Later, the two Ministers, accompanied by officials, visited the exhibition of products of various cooperative societies.
District Central Cooperative Bank Chairman Chandran, Manamadurai MLA S. Nagarajan, former MP P.R. Senthilnathan, officials and office-bearers from various Cooperative institutions were present at the function.
