YINGKIONG : A Cooperative Mahotsav organised by the Upper Siang District Cooperative Union Limited was held at Grand Siang Hotel here on Thursday to promote cooperative enterprises, strengthen market linkages and enhance financial inclusion across the district.
The programme brought together representatives of cooperative societies, Large-sized Adivasi Multipurpose Societies (LAMPS), government departments, the Reserve Bank of India’s MoneyWise Centre for Financial Literacy (CFL) Project, CFL Mariyang, CRISIL Foundation and other partner organisations.
The event was attended by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) Deputy District Development Manager Shivaji Munshi as the guest of honour and North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation (NERAMAC) Block Development Officer Md Abdul Rakib as the special guest.
Upper Siang Assistant Registrar of Cooperative Societies Ojhon Lego, CRISIL Foundation Community-Based Organisation Kalinam, and CFL Mariyang field coordinators Geyang Ratan and Talling Perme were also present.
Addressing the gathering, NABARD Deputy District Development Manager Shivaji Munshi highlighted the importance of business planning, value addition and institutional credit linkage for cooperative societies and LAMPS. He encouraged societies to prepare formal business plans and leverage banking and NABARD support to enhance production and expand market access.
NERAMAC Block Development Officer Md Abdul Rakib spoke on procurement systems and value-addition opportunities for agricultural and horticultural produce. He also highlighted the onboarding of district products on the NERACE portal, developed jointly by the North Eastern Council (NEC), the North Eastern Development Finance Corporation (NEDFi) and NERAMAC, to help local producers access wider markets.
Officials of CFL Mariyang conducted interactive sessions on financial literacy and awareness, covering major central government welfare schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), Atal Pension Yojana (APY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY). The District Extension Officer also assisted participants in documenting beneficiary details through the Field Input Reporting format.
The programme also featured awareness sessions on the Reserve Bank of India’s MoneyWise CFL initiative and responsible credit use. During an interactive question-and-answer session, officials responded to queries from cooperative members and villagers on banking services, agricultural practices and government welfare schemes.
The organisers said the programme aimed to strengthen rural livelihoods by improving financial awareness, enhancing market opportunities and promoting sustainable growth of cooperative enterprises in the district.
