The Gazetteers Department

Multi-purpose Societies.-These societies are also essentially credit societies but their objects are wider in so far as they combine marketing of agricultural produce with the provision of credit.

The multi-purpose societies came into existence only 15 years ago. The joint report submitted by the Registrar of Co-operative Societies and Shri V. L. Mehta in accordance with the Government Resolution of 1947, recommended the organisation of multi-purpose societies and suggested that where marketing facilities or suitable market places are available in the immediate neighbourhood, a multipurpose society for a group of villages within a radius of five miles should be registered with the object of supplying the normal cultivation needs of its members, who in their turn were to execute an agreement binding themselves to bring all their marketable produce for sale to the society. This recommendation was accepted by the Government.

The multi-purpose society, besides providing credit, aims at supplying such agricultural requisites as seed, manures, feeding stuffs, etc., and also domestic and other requisites to members and at making arrangements for the joint sale of their produce. It can make advances against the members' agricultural produce. The multi-purpose society is in a better position than the ordinary credit societies in averting misapplication of loans and irregularity in their repayment. These societies are not intended to replace the ordinary credit societies. They represent a further stage of evolution of agricultural co-operative credit societies and are able to help in many ways such credit societies as are located within the area of their operation. They are also better suited to serve the needs of debtors whose debts have been adjusted under the Bombay Agricultural Debtors Relief Act.

The multi-purpose societies also have made consideratble progress during recent years. In 1957-58, their number was 236 with a membership of 34,401 and they covered 979 villages according to the Annual Administration Report of the Co-operative Movement in the district for that year.

These multi-purpose societies play a very useful role in not only meeting the agricultural credit but also in supplying the other agricultural and domestic requirements of the agriculturists from their area of operation. However, due to the peculiar conditions of the district and the low agricultural economy, the multi-purpose societies have no real scope in enhancing their usefulness of services. In accordance with the recommendations of "All India Rural Credit Survey Committee ", it was proposed to organise 15 large-sized multipurpose societies in the district. So far five big economical units have been organised by the incorporation of existing societies.

Grain Depots and Grain Banks.

Grain Depots and Grain Banks.-During war-time Government started a number of grain-depots. Forty-six such depots were in existence in 1945. The Government, later on decided upon converting depots into banks. This policy of conversion of grain depots into grain banks did not succeed much as the set-up of the grain depots was not found to be satisfactorily working and suitable for such conversion.

Ratnagiri is a deficit district in respect of food grains. Government, therefore, sanctioned a special scheme for the organisation of grain banks at a cost of Rs. 1,64,000. Under this scheme a total loan of Rs. 99,800 only was disbursed to 35 grain societies during the years 1954-55 and 1955-56. This indicates non-utilisation of the full amount sanctioned for the scheme. During the financial year 1957-58, eleven grain societies from the district have received total loans amounting to Rs. 10,700, under the above scheme.

Central Financing Agencies.

Central Financing Agencies.-Uptill now the Bombay State Co-operative Bank Ltd., with its branches in the District was functioning as Central Financing Agency for the district. Now the District Central Co-operative Bank, which was registered during the last year functions as Central Financing Agency for the district.

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