JAMMU: Commissioner Secretary, Cooperative Department, Yasha Mudgal, today chaired a review meeting at the Civil Secretariat to evaluate the overall functioning and performance of Registrar Cooperative Societies.
She assessed progress on various key initiatives of the Cooperative Department being implemented across the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
Registrar Cooperative Societies presented a detailed overview followed by a threadbare discussion on the implementation and outcome of multiple schemes and programmes aimed at strengthening and modernizing the cooperative sector.
It was informed that a total of 1,921 Cooperative Societies are registered under the J&K Cooperative Societies Act, 1989 while 4,305 Cooperatives fall under the J&K Self-Reliant Act, 1989. Over 80 percent of these institutions are currently functional, underscoring the department’s ongoing efforts to improve the operational efficiency and sustainability.
The Commissioner Secretary was briefed on transforming Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) into multipurpose entities to broaden their service offerings and bolster grassroots cooperatives. This includes adoption of uniform Common Bye-Laws and Centrally Sponsored computerisation of PACS for enhanced transparency and service delivery. In the first phase, 537 PACS have been computerized with 171 additional PACS slated for the second phase.
She was apprised of the integration of Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS) with flagship national schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samriddhi Kendra (PMKSK), Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Kendra (PMJAK) and Common Service Centres (CSC).
Yasha Mudgal emphasized that these initiatives must deliver tangible benefits to the grassroots level and the general public through cooperative institutions.
She assessed progress achieved under the Cooperative Infrastructure Development Fund (CIDF) and Cash Credit Limit (CCL) schemes with directions to the officers to ensure wide publicity of these programmes. She specifically called for targeted outreach to unemployed youth to raise awareness on available opportunities, encouraging their participation.
In the micro food processing domain, it was informed that 35 units were established and made functional during the financial year 2024–25, contributing to local value addition and employment generation. An additional 45 units have been proposed for the current financial year to further promote rural entrepreneurship and agro-based activities.
Yasha Mudgal underscored the critical need for regular monitoring of the financial health of cooperative societies and timely audits to uphold transparency, accountability and fiscal discipline. She directed the Deputy Registrars to compile comprehensive data on all registered cooperatives including financial performance, profit margins and annual turnover to support evidence-based policymaking and effective oversight.
Highlighting emerging opportunities, she instructed the Deputy Registrars to develop district-wise roadmaps for promoting fisheries related cooperative activities to enhance livelihoods and rural economies. She also emphasized expanding honey production across the districts, given its strong economic potential for cooperative enterprises.
The officers were tasked with identifying suitable land parcels in each district for establishing cold storage facilities under the World’s Largest Grains Project to improve post-harvest management, minimise wastage and strengthen agricultural value chains.
The Commissioner Secretary stressed the importance of identifying dormant or inactive societies and initiating a systematic review for their winding up and liquidation/deregistration as per prescribed norms, ensuring that only active and viable cooperatives remain operational.
She directed the officers to expedite the ongoing initiatives, strengthen monitoring mechanisms and foster greater institutional efficiency and accountability across the cooperative ecosystem in the Union Territory.
The meeting was attended by Mohammad Shafiq Chak, Registrar Cooperative Societies, J&K; Ulfat Jabeen, Special Secretary, Cooperative Department; Director Finance, Cooperative Department; Additional Registrar Cooperative Societies (Jammu) and other senior officers of the department.
