OTHER DEPARTMENTS

CO-OPERATION DEPARTMENT

There is vast scope for the organisation and development of co-operative activities as co-operation has been accepted as the media for bringing about socio-economic changes in the country. Co-operation, therefore has become an important department of the Government. The activities of the Co-operative department extend to the fields of rural finance, agricultural marketing, industrial co-operatives, consumers' co-operatives and moneylending business in the district. All these activities are governed under the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, 1961.

Organisation.

With the formation of the Zilla Parishads, Co-operation has come under the dual control of the Zilla Parishad and the State Government. The Co-operative department of the Zilla Parishad is responsible for the registration, organisation, supervision, inspection, etc., of all types of co-operatives in rural areas, having authorised share capital upto Rs. 50,000 or working capital upto Rs. 5 lakhs. It also controls and supervises all regulated markets. All other schemes are looked after by the department in the State sector.

The Registrar of Co-operative Societies is the head of the Co-operative department at the State level. At the divisional level the department is headed by the Divisional Joint Registrar assisted by the Divisional Deputy Registrar and three Divisional Assistant Registrars. The Divisional Special Auditor is in charge of the audit section.

In the State sector, Wardha district is placed in charge of the District Deputy Registrar of Co-operative Societies, Wardha. He is assisted by three Assistant Registrars out of whom one Assistant Registrar is in-charge of land development bank and its activities. The jurisdiction of the two Assistant Registrars extends over an area specified by the District Deputy Registrar after taking into account the actual work-load. Under the Assistant Registrar are the Co-operative Officer and the Assistant Co-operative Officer. The Assistant Registrars have been delegated with powers under certain sections of the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act, 1961. They also work as Assistant Registrars of Money-lenders for their respective jurisdictions.

Since the formation of the Zilla Parishad, one of the three Assistant Registrars has been transferred to it. He works as the Co-operation and Industries Officer of the Zilla Parishad. He is directly responsible to the Chief Executive Officer. He is delegated with certain powers of the Registrar of Co-operative Societies so far as registration of new societies and amendments to the bye-laws of certain types of societies are concerned and also empowered to hear the appeal under Section 23 of the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act regarding admission of membership coming under the purview of the Zilla Parishad. He also works as the secretary of the co-operation committee of the Zilla Parishad.

The Co-operative Officer and the Assistant Co-operative Officer are in-charge of the activities of the department under the State sector. They are appointed by the Registrar of Co-operative Societies and the Divisional Joint Registrar of Co-operative Societies, respectively. The Assistant Registrar of Co-operative Societies who is the Co-operative and Industries Officer of the Zilla Parishad is assisted by the Block Development Officers and Extension Officers.

The main responsibility of the supervising staff is confined to detailed supervision over the working of all agricultural credit and multipurpose societies in the district. They are expected to supervise every society in their charge. There are, at present, 14 Supervisors working in the district who are appointed by the Divisional Joint Registrar, Nagpur. They are placed under the administrative control of the Assistant Registrars. In pursuance of the policy of democratic decentralisation, supervising unions have been organised at 7 places at the headquarters of development blocks. Out of the two Supervisors placed at the supervising union level, one Supervisor works as the secretary of the union, as their services are placed at the disposal of these unions for inspection and supervision of affiliated societies.

District Co-operative Board.

Education and training in co-operation and propaganda for the spread of co-operative movement are carried out by the District Co-operative Board under the guidance of the Maharashtra State Co-operative Union Limited, Bombay. The membership of the Board is of two classes viz., ordinary, consisting of all co-operative societies in the district and associate, consisting of individuals. A nominee of the financing agency (The Wardha District Central Co-operative Bank Ltd., Wardha), the District Deputy Registrar and the executive officer of the Maharashtra State Co-operative Union are the ex-officio members of the Board. It has a membership of 414.

Audit.

Section 81 of the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, 1961, provides for statutory audit of every society at least once in a year by the Registrar or by the persons authorised by him. In the district, it is the responsibility of the District Special Auditor who works under the supervision and guidance of the Divisional Special Auditor, Co-operative Societies, Nagpur.

Money-Lending.

The salient features of the Bombay Money-lenders Act are licencing of money lenders, maintenance of accounts by money lenders in prescribed forms and restrictions on rates of interest.

The District Deputy Registrar, Co-operative Societies, Wardha, works as the Registrar of Money lenders in the district while the Assistant Registrars, Co-operative Societies, Wardha work as the Assistant Registrars of Money lenders in their respective jurisdictions. The District Deputy Registrar who works as the Registrar of Money lenders issues licences to money lenders and is responsible for the administration of the Bombay Money-lenders Act. The Co-operative Officers have to work in dual capacity both as Co-operative Officers and Inspectors of Money lenders.

Co-operative Banks.

Banking and credit facilities to co-operatives in Wardha district are provided mainly by the Wardha District Central Co-operative Bank Limited, and the Land Development Bank, Wardha. The funds received from the Reserve Bank of India are channelized through the apex institution to central financing agencies. The Wardha District Central Co-operative Bank makes credit facilities available to agriculturists through the primary societies affiliated to it. The Government have contributed Rs. 10 lakhs towards its share capital. The 10 branches of this bank are spread over all the three tahsils of the district. The Wardha Land Development Bank makes long-term credit available to the agriculturists for carrying out improvement in land of a permanent nature.

Service Co-operatives.

The number of service co-operatives in the district in June 1965 stood at 404. Of these, 402 societies were granted subsidy at Rs. 500 each towards the appointment of trained secretaries. Indirect share capital contributions given to these primary credit societies were to the tune of Rs. 1,84,000. These societies have also constructed godowns with the aid of the financial assistance of Rs. 10,000 received from the Government. Almost all of these societies are engaged in the distribution of foodgrains, fertilisers and improved seeds.

Fisheries Societies.

There are in all four fisheries societies in the district. Almost all societies are newly registered. Of these only one society at Hingani has made progress. These societies get technical guidance from the Fisheries department. These societies collect the fish catch from members and sell the same in the markets.

Dairy and Cattle breeding Societies.

54 dairy societies and one cattle breeding society have been established in the district under the Wardha Plan. It was proposed to organise three unions and 82 dairy co-operative societies. So far 2 dairy unions, one at Arvi for collection of buffalo milk and the other at Wardha for collection of cow milk, have been organised and registered. In June 1968, there were 32 dairy societies in Wardha tahsil and 13 in Arvi tahsil. Out of these societies, 10 societies have been given an amount of Rs. 9,300 as managerial subsidy.

Housing Societies.

There are in all 47 housing societies in the district, of which 13 are backward class housing societies, 15 low income group housing societies, 17 flood affected persons' housing societies and two are other housing societies.

Two housing societies have received assistance from Government towards the construction of houses to the tune of Rs. 1,56,492, and Rs. 1,33,771 by way of loans; and Rs. 22,721 by way of subsidy. So far 45 houses have been constructed and 201 are under construction.

Farming Societies

In Wardha district 4 collective farming societies and 19 joint farming co-operative societies have been organised. One federation of these farming societies has been organised at Ashti. The total land commanded by these societies is 680 hectares. The financial assistance given to these societies under various schemes was as under as on 30th June, 1968.

The federation of farming societies was given management subsidy of Rs. 1,380 during 1967-68.

Consumers Stores.

There were 72 consumers co-operative stores in the district. Of these stores, the Wardha Central Co-operative Consumers Wholesale and Retail Stores Limited, Wardha, has been organised under the centrally sponsored schemes of the Government of India. The membership of these stores was 8,234 and paid up share capital, Rs. 3,83,448 of which Government share capital was Rs. 1,12,500. The sales and purchases made by the Co-operative Consumers Societies during the year 1967-68 were to the tune of Rs. 49,80,712 and Rs. 51,43,133, respectively.

Processing Societies.

Under the Wardha Plan it was proposed to have 7 ginning units in 7 blocks with a capacity of 30 gins each. The target has been achieved by organising ginning and pressing societies. The ginning and pressing societies are located at Wardha, Deoli and Seloo in Wardha tahsil; Arvi, Ashti and Karanja in Arvi tahsil, and at Hinganghat, the headquarters of the tahsil of the same name.

It was also proposed to organise 3 dal mills in the district. So far one dal mill at Karanja has been registered. It has started its working recently. It was also proposed to have 3 pressing units at tahsil level. Of these only one unit at Arvi has been established and it has started its working. These societies have ginned and pressed 25,940.72 quintals of cotton during 1967-68.

Labour Contract Societies.

Wardha district has been declared by the Government as a pilot district for the intensive development of labour contract societies. There are 66 primary labour contract co-operative societies of which 38 are in the rural areas and the remaining 28 and one electrical labour workers society at Pulgaon are in urban areas. All the 38 mandi centres in the district have been covered by the labour contract co-operative societies. The federation of labour contract societies has also been organised and registered at Wardha on 19th March 1966.

The financial assistance in the form of share capital, managerial subsidy, technical guidance subsidy, loan for tools and equipment, is sanctioned to these societies.

Forest Labourers Societies.

There are 14 forest felling series in the district of which 3 felling series are reserved by the Forest department. All the remaining felling series are covered by organising 12 forest labourers co-operative societies. The federation of forest labourers co-operative societies was registered in May, 1965, to which 11 forest labourers co-operative societies except one dormant society are affiliated.

Co-operative Marketing.

There are 7 purchase and sale societies in the district located at Wardha, Deoli, Sindi, Hinganghat, Samudrapur, Arvi and Karanja. These societies distribute fertilisers, seed and cotton pool. They have been granted financial assistance under the schemes of share capital, godown, managerial subsidy and consumers' articles subsidy.

There are in all 64 godowns sanctioned in the district to marketing societies and sewa societies; the construction of 29 is completed so far. The work on the remaining is in progress.

Development of Agricultural Marketing.

There are five regulated market committees in the district, located at Wardha, Hinganghat, Arvi, Sindhi and Pulgaon.

The financial assistance to the tune of Rs. 60,000 as loan has been sanctioned to the Agricultural Produce Market Committee, Wardha for development of its market yard. An amount of Rs. 2,000 as subsidy has been sanctioned to the Market Committees located at Hinganghat, Wardha and Deoli for incurring initial expenses towards supervisory staff, propaganda and publicity, etc.

Fillip to the movement.

The development of the co-operative movement in the district is particularly marked in respect of agricultural credit co-operatives, dairy societies, marketing societies, cotton pool activity and labour contract societies. The direct participation of Government has encouraged the development of these societies while the Government's policy of entrusting distribution of foodgrains, sugar and other essential commodities to the co-operatives has also indirectly contributed to the achievement of the same goal. Further steps have been taken to link credit with marketing and processing. This district has been declared by the Governent as a ' Pilot District' for the intensive development of labour contract societies. At the same time under Wardha Plan agro-industrial development is to be achieved through co-operatives. This has also given fillip to the co-operative movement in the district.

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