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BSS-38
PM-COOPERATIVE-DAY-2-LAST
Laying stress on the use of ICT in the cooperative sector for overall development of cooperative particularly establishing a transparent and accountable management, Sheikh Hasina said, “We have brought all the offices of the Cooperative Department under the ICT network.”
On marketing of cooperative goods, she said, “It is essential to ensure marketing of the cooperative goods. Everyone will be benefited if the marketing system is developed through cooperative system (as the carrying expenses will be reduced). Proper marketing of the goods will encourage people to engage in cooperative society which helps reducing poverty.”
The prime minister went on saying, “If we can ensure the best use of cooperative system, the agriculture will be benefited the most as no land across the country will be left out of cultivation for which food security would be ensured.”
In this regard, she recalled Father of the Nation Bangaabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as he used to say that if “aials” (barriers that separate land) between the lands across the country could be erased a greater district (like Faridpur) would be emerged.
“We should go for cultivation in a cooperative manner to use every piece of land,” she opined.
The premier said her government has made the country self-reliant in food production through conducting research to this end despite having limited land.
About the contribution of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for development of cooperatives, she said, “Bangabandhu encouraged cooperative-based production and distribution management in all sectors including agriculture and land management, industrial initiatives and agricultural credit”.
“Bangabandhu incorporated the cooperatives as the second sector of ownership in the Article 13 of the Constitution and he (Bangabandhu) is also the founder of Milk Vita – a national level leading co-operatives of Bangladesh,” she said.
The Father of the Nation wanted to utilize people’s concerted initiatives through village-based co-operatives to make use of the people’s development, she said, adding that “Bangabandhu initiated Agricultural Cooperatives, Fishery Co-operatives, Weavers Cooperatives and Industrial Co-operative Society with respective class of poor people for their socio-economic development.”
The premier added: “We are giving utmost priority on cooperatives following the footsteps of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for overall socioeconomic development of the people particularly the rural ones.”
“We are working to reach civic amenities to the village people as the grassroots people are the focal point of our massive development works being carried out across the country,” she said.
Spelling out various initiatives undertaken by her government for the development of cooperative, the prime minister said, “Cooperative has a great potential strength in our development efforts. Currently there are about 1.74 lakh cooperative societies in Bangladesh with a total of 10.9 million members.”
“We are creating income generation systems for rural people without migrating to the urban areas. We are implementing various development projects to ensure civic facilities to the rural level,” she said.
On taking Ashrayan project for implementing the government’s aim to leave no people without home, the premier said, “We will live no people without home. As many as 2,98,249 families have been rehabilitated under the Ashrayan project.”
Besides, they have been provided loan worth Taka 103. 57 crore through the Cooperative Department to make them self-reliant, she said.
About the “My House, My Farm,” project she said, “The name of the project was “A farm, A House” and she later renamed it as “My House, My Farm”.
Sheikh Hasina said “A total of 1, 5 0723 village development societies have been formed in 87,200 villages through the project. Beneficiary member households are over 47 lakhs.”
The government is implementing the ‘Comprehensive Village Development Project’ for the development of village based cooperative societies where cooperative members are being provided with appropriate training, she stated.
The premier said, “Our government is implementing various co-operative projects for the development of dairy sector. We have successfully implemented ‘Cooperative Based Milk Production Project’ and ‘Poverty reduction project of greater Faridpur, Barisal and Khulna districts through expansion of dairy co-operative activities.”
Feed Production Plant has been set up in Lahiri Mohanpur. Artificial breeding centers of buffalo for increasing milk production have also been set up, she also said.
Sheikh Hasina said that powder Milk Plants at Baghbari Ghat in Sirajganj and Patia, Chottogram have already been established successfully, adding that “Recently, another dairy plant project is underway in Faridpur.”
“We put emphasis on the development of backward and under-privileged people of the country. We have taken measures for the livelihood developments of Garo community and small ethnic groups,” she informed.
Sheikh Hasina said “Besides, for the development of the underprivileged women, currently we are implementing a project where beneficiaries are getting interest free, collateral free, long-term loan of Tk.120,000 each”.
The premier said through the Palli Daridra Bimochan Foundation (PDBF), the government has implemented 10 projects to develop rural infrastructure and the livelihood of the poor people.
The premier said, “We are progressing and we will progress towards building the “Golden Bangladesh” free from poverty and hunger as dreamt by the Father of the Nation. Bangladesh will definitely be a developed and prosperous country in the days to come.”
BSS/AHJ/KU/2050 HRS