CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: A state-level workshop on business diversification of cooperative institutions was organized at the Samnvay Bhavan in Bhopal with the support of the Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA). On this occasion, Madhya Pradesh’s Minister of Cooperation, Sports, and Youth Welfare, Vishwas Kailash Sarang, emphasized the importance of cooperatives in empowering farmers.

Mr. Sarang stated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the mantra of “Prosperity through Cooperation” is being realized rapidly. The main objective of the Jan-Dhan Yojana was to connect villages and farmers with the national economy, and its positive results are now visible. He added that the economy cannot be strengthened until it reaches the common man and the farmer directly, which is why making Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) prosperous must be our top priority.

He urged Chief Executive Officers of district banks to immediately launch a campaign to make every PACS in Madhya Pradesh a member of the WDRA. This will enable farmers to safely store their produce in nearby warehouses without facing difficulties in far-off locations. On this occasion, the Apex Bank also released the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) booklet for warehouse registration. Additionally, the responsibility for working on a new warehouse construction plan in the state was assigned to the State Warehousing Corporation, Cooperative Union, and officials of the Cooperation Department.

Cooperation Commissioner Manoj Pushp highlighted the need to train farmers so they can better preserve their produce and sell it digitally. He stated that this workshop would prove to be a milestone in the field of agro-processing and marketing. WDRA member Arun Kumar Srivastava predicted that India could become the world’s largest economy by 2051, by which time Madhya Pradesh’s population is expected to reach 12 crore, necessitating well-organized food grain storage.

Ramkumar, Regional Manager of CWC, informed that if 50,000 warehouses are registered under WDRA, farmers will directly benefit and be protected from fraud. Senior officials from the Cooperation Department, district banks, FPOs, warehouses, and various cooperative institutions were present at the workshop.

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