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Re: " Why self reliant Cooperative Bill in Orissa"
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"debaranjan sarangi" <debaranjan_s@hotmail.com> sent in this.
>> >Why for Self-reliant Co-operative Bill in Orissa
>> >
>> >Introduction
>> >
>> >The liberalization and privatization process have not curbed the tug
of
>>war between the supporters of Public Sectors and Private Sectors and
this
>>unabated debate would continue till the former merge with the later
>>completely. But can the private sector bring a change in the
socio-economic
>>condition of the people towards betterment? Probably that is the
reason why
>>this conflict is going on.
>> >
>> >It would be another debate that whether PSUs were really making loss
or
>>an environment was made for this purpose, but, looking to the perilous
>>trend of Private Sectors intrusion, an ominous question is bungling
each
>>one?s mind ?why not in 90s Co-operative in a new form could not emerge
as
>>an alternative?. May be of late, it is, after a gap, widely believed
that
>>co-operatives are relevant even today and shall continue to be
relevant for
>>coming decades.
>> >
>> >The strength of co-operative is its membership, its business and
its
>>leadership- not govt. doles. Therefore, in the wake of liberalization
and
>>the open door policy towards multinationals, there has been a debate
both
>>within and outside the co-operative sector, as to whether the ?third
>>alternative? to the private and public sectors would continue to be in
hand
>>of bureaucracy and politicians or should be managed by the members
>>themselves.
>> >
>> >While problems faced by the co-operatives are many, the co-operative
law
>>in the state itself has enough provisions to discourage the genuine
>>cooperators. Due to such law both the bureaucracy and politicians have
made
>>these co-operatives self-reliant. There has been a countrywide effort
for
>>reforms of the co-operative legislation.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >Present status of co-operatives in Orissa
>> >
>> >The present characteristics of the co-operatives in Orissa have come
down
>>from the true mission of co-operatives very well. Some of the
features of
>>the co-operatives are like this :
>> >
>> >i. Lack of members? involvement and their management mostly in the
hands
>>of non-user members and in some cases in the hands of the govt.
>> >ii. Dedicated cooperators have remained outside the co-operatives
>> >iii. State reliant rather than self-reliant
>> >iv. Politicization and bureaucratic interference in the
co-operatives
>> >v. Excessive control and interference by the govt. through acts and
rules
>> >vi. Lack of professionalism in management
>> >vii. Quantity without quality
>> >
>> >Most of the co-operatives are sick and virtually defunct and are in
>>existence only because there is budgetary support and other assistance
>>rendered by the govt. or just exist for namesake to fulfill electoral
>>motives.
>> >
>> >Factors responsible for the present status of co-operatives
>> >
>> >Several factors are responsible for the failure of the co-operative
>>movement in the state. Some of them are like this:
>> >
>> >i. Eager to spread its reach the govt. utilized the co-operatives.
State
>>partnership with co-operatives was considered to be a progressive
policy.
>>This has led to a situation where the co-operatives ended up as
agencies
>>implementing govt. programs. Thus organizations established for
providing
>>service to its members got converted as public service institutes.
>> >ii. In most cases the co-operatives have come into existence because
of
>>the initiative of the govt./other promotional agencies and not due to
the
>>initiative of the members. The co-operatives have come through a
>>bureaucratic or project model rather than an evolutionary model. The
>>members have no stake in the co-operatives, neither there is any sense
of
>>belongings. The members do not own their co-operatives. They are told
that
>>they are for a limited period and end result is a crisis of identity
for
>>the co-operatives.
>> >iii. With increase in providing services to the public rather than
to the
>>members, co-operatives have attracted the politicians
to
>>their fold. Politicians in search of political and economic power and
>>influence and a ladder to climb on to reach higher positions in the
>>political hierarchy came into play through the state intervention.
>>Enlistment of bogus members for electoral purposes has become a common
>>feature.
>> >iv. The govt. have interfered with the management of the
co-operatives to
>>protect its interest and even promoting certain vested interests and
going
>>to the extent of dissolving the duly elected committees of management
of
>>the co-operatives.
>> >v. The govt. has brought in several amendments to the Orissa
>>Co-operative Societies Act. Most of these are aimed at creating
hurdles
>>rather than facilitating the functioning of the co-operatives.
>> >vi. Without continuos training of the primary members they are
unaware of
>>their role and responsibilities.-
>> >True identity of Co-operatives
>> >
>> >Today the co-operatives present a distorted image and identity. It
needs
>>to be corrected. The co-operatives should have an image of such,
>> >i. Co-operatives are members? institutions and not meant for welfare
of
>>the people at large.
>> >ii. Co-operatives are voluntary associations of their members with
common
>>economic needs and are required to be managed on the basis of their
own
>>bye-laws. Should not be equated with grampanchayats, which are
>>constitutional bodies.
>> >iii. A cooperative is essentially a business organization to provide
>>credit market members produce and provide services and are required to
>>compete in the market place.
>> >iv. Successful co-operatives are assets of any society, the society
at
>>large benefiting from goods and services made available by it.
>> >
>> >
>> >What should be role of govt. with genuine co-operatives
>> >
>> >The govt. has a positive role in the cooperative movement. It should
play
>>a role like,
>> >
>> >i. As a benevolent facilitator and friend of cooperative movement
>> >ii. To ensure that the interest of the members who have invested
money
>>with the co-operatives is protected.
>> >iii. To ensure that the co-operatives don?t deviate from the
cooperative
>>principles laid down by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA)
>> >
>> >Features of self-reliant bill
>> >
>> >The common features of self-reliant bill are like this.
>> >
>> >i. The power of registrar is limited to register the societies
>> >ii. The cooperative societies will be managed by its own-by-law
without
>>any govt. participation and aid.
>> >iii. The election and audit will be responsibility of general body.
>> >iv. Members will share both profit and loss for which they will be
>>careful to watch activities of managing committee. General body of
>>cooperative society is empowered to dissolve erring committee.
>> >v. General body is at liberty to take the help of registrar if
required.
>> >
>> >Advantages of self-reliant co-operatives to the govt.
>> >
>> >i. The budgetary support presently provided by the govt. to the
>>co-operatives would not be required to be given to the self-reliant
>>co-operatives.
>> >ii. The govt. would not be required to contribute to the share
capital of
>>the self-reliant cooperative.
>> >iii. The govt.?s financial burden would get reduced which it can
deploy
>>in other sectors.
>> >iv. The govt. would not be required to guarantee for the loans
received
>>by the co-operatives.
>> >v. The functionaries of the self-reliant co-operatives shall be a
>>enlighten group and would not bother the RCS.
>> >vi. The govt. would not be made responsible for the co-operatives.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >Advantages of self-reliant act to members? and their co-operatives
>> >
>> >i. Registration of co-operatives shall become a matter of right.
>> >ii. Instead of being heavily tilted towards the govt. and the safety
>>valves in the hands of the govt. the safety valves shall be in the
hands of
>>the members.
>> >iii. Through the self-reliant co-operatives empowerment of the
people
>>would become a reality.
>> >iv. It shall give scope for the dedicated persons to organize and
expand
>>the activities of the co-operatives for the benefit of their members.
>> >v. Under a liberalized economic environment the cooperative under
the
>>self-reliant act can enter into big ventures and new areas of
production
>>and distribution without permission of the govt.
>> >vi. This shall provide an enabling legal environment.
>> >
>> >New generations cooperatives
>> >
>> >i. Thrift and credit society (SHG groups) ii. Diary.
iii. Weavers
>> >iv. Housing v. Agro Processing vi. Lift Irrigation vii.
Oil seeds
>> >viii. Fishermen ix. Tree growers x.
farming xi. Banks
>> >xii. Sheep Breding xiii. IGP
Groups
>> >xiv. others
>> >
>> >
>> >- - - - - - - - -
>> >
>> >Prepared By : Debaranjan Sarangi,
>> > C/o, Campaign for cooperative reforms in Orissa
>> > VIM- 659, Sailashree Vihar, Bhubaneswar
>> > Phone- 0674- 441194
>> >
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