Chief Minister Prof. Dr Manik Saha on Tuesday  said that initiatives have been taken to strengthen PACS by computerizing them and to establish multi-purpose PACS at the Panchayat level.

“An initiative has been taken to strengthen PACS by computerizing them in Tripura. Important initiatives have been taken in Panchayats and villages to establish multi-purpose PACS, such as milk and fisheries cooperative societies, and providing e-services through PACS,” said Dr Saha.

He stated that it will be possible to strengthen the country through development in the cooperative sector, which will also make the state stronger. By focusing on cooperatives, it will be possible to make the state poverty-free. Not only that, but it will also help in making the state corruption-free.

Dr Saha said this while inaugurating a one-day state-level conference on the "Promotion and Development of Cooperatives" at Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan on Tuesday.

At the program, Chief Minister Dr Saha emphasized that the main purpose of such programs is public awareness, with one of the key goals being to increase knowledge about cooperatives among the people.

He pointed out that due to a lack of awareness, many remain uninformed about the benefits of cooperatives.

“The cooperative movement is a bloodless revolution. It is impossible to predict how much society will be strengthened through this movement. If cooperative societies in rural areas are strengthened, the country will advance financially.

Currently, India ranks fifth in the world economy. Earlier, it was in the 11th position, and this progress has been possible under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Now, we are aiming for third place in terms of the global economy. If the cooperative sector develops, we will be able to achieve this goal in the future,” he said.

The Chief Minister mentioned that the primary objective of the state-level conference is to discuss the successes achieved through cooperatives. Along with the achievements, the shortcomings should also be analyzed so that the reasons behind any failures can be properly addressed.

 “The Cooperative Department of the Tripura Government celebrates Cooperative Week every year. Various important programs, including discussions and competitions, are organized to increase public awareness. Out of the approximately 40 lakh people in the state, around 9 lakh are directly or indirectly associated with cooperative societies. The idea of cooperatives should be expanded to the rest of the population as well," he said.

Dr Saha highlighted that computerizing all PACS will not only ensure transparency but also help in preventing corruption.

 “Now, LAMPS and PACS have been approved for LPG distribution and petrol and diesel dealerships. This process has also started in Tripura. If LAMPS and PACS become financially strong, they will become self-reliant. Once they achieve self-reliance, they will be able to help others become self-reliant as well,” he added.

The event was attended by Cooperative Minister Shukla Charan Noatia, Chairman of the National Cooperative Union of India and former MP Dilip Sangani, Chief Executive of the National Cooperative Union of India Dr Sudhir Mahajan, Secretary of the Cooperative Department Tapas Roy, along with other public representatives and senior officials of the department.