Leh, Feb 14: Placing financial self-reliance of the cooperative sector at the centre of the administration’s agenda, the Chief Secretary of the Union Territory of Ladakh on Friday led an in-depth review of cooperative reforms in Leh and underlined the proposal to establish a separate State Cooperative Bank for Ladakh as a priority intervention to strengthen credit delivery and institutional support across the region.
Chairing the third meeting of the State Cooperative Development Committee (SCDC) in Leh, the Chief Secretary said the proposed bank would provide a dedicated financial backbone for cooperative institutions and help bridge long-standing gaps in access to formal credit, particularly in remote and rural areas.
The Committee held detailed deliberations on the financial base required for the proposed bank, regulatory and statutory obligations, and the roadmap for securing mandatory approvals and operational clearances for its establishment.
The meeting also reviewed the overall progress of cooperative institutions in Leh and Kargil districts, with a special focus on the formation of new Multi-Purpose Agriculture Cooperative Societies and the expansion of cooperative coverage in underserved areas.
Progress achieved under Farmer Producer Organisations was examined, along with proposals to establish additional Primary Agricultural Credit Societies in collaboration with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. The objective, officials said, is to improve access to institutional finance and strengthen credit delivery at the grassroots level.
A separate and detailed review was undertaken on the functioning of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies operating as Common Service Centres. The Committee discussed low activation levels, capacity constraints, operational issues and the need for stronger public outreach and improved service delivery.
The status of defunct cooperative societies was also reviewed. The Committee was informed that several non-functional societies in Kargil district have already been revived. A structured action plan has been prepared for the revival or liquidation of the remaining inactive societies to ensure optimal use of cooperative infrastructure.
The meeting further examined sector-specific challenges affecting cooperative institutions in Ladakh, including the shortage of cold storage and food processing facilities, limited market access for local and organic produce, dependence on glacial meltwater for irrigation, lack of modern irrigation systems and restricted access to credit.
Dairy development formed a major part of the discussions. The Committee reviewed procurement mechanisms, infrastructure support, financial assistance for the expansion of dairy plants, installation of bulk milk coolers, establishment of milk testing laboratories and training of farmers in scientific dairy practices.
The Chief Secretary emphasised the promotion of vermicompost fertilisers through urban development cooperative societies and called for the wider adoption of successful local cooperative models. He stressed the need for collaboration with non-governmental organisations to improve field-level implementation and directed concerned departments to design structured training programmes for dairy farmers and cooperative members.
He also instructed departments to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of existing Primary Agricultural Credit Societies to identify better performing societies and develop an integrated value chain model that can be replicated across the Union Territory.
Every major aspect related to dairy cooperatives, including ongoing initiatives, operational challenges and future strategies, was reviewed with the aim of ensuring sustainable growth of the sector.
The meeting was attended by Administrative Secretary Bhupesh Chaudhary, Deputy Commissioner Leh Romil Singh Donk, Deputy Commissioner Kargil Rakesh Kumar, Director Tourism Tsering Palden, senior officers from concerned departments and officials of NABARD, who joined the meeting virtually.
