HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Jan 28: Emphasising entrepreneurship through cooperatives as a key driver of rural economic growth, NABARD’s Assam Regional Office on Wednesday organised a state-level workshop on the development of Multipurpose Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (MPACS) at its Guwahati office.
The workshop, held for Resource Support Agencies (RSAs) and Resource Persons (RPs), focused on strengthening the institutional and entrepreneurial capacities of newly formed MPACS and improving field-level coordination across districts.
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The programme began with a welcome address by Loken Das, chief general manager, NABARD, Assam Regional Office, followed by a keynote address by Narayan Konwar, IAS, registrar of Cooperative Societies, Government of Assam.
Addressing the participants, Konwar said fostering a strong culture of entrepreneurship through cooperatives is essential for enabling MPACS to emerge as vibrant, community-based institutions.
He stressed that such an approach would allow MPACS to play a meaningful role in promoting rural livelihoods and economic development across Assam.
The workshop featured a series of technical sessions chaired by Qamar Javed, general manager, NABARD.
In the first session, officials from the office of the Registrar of Cooperative Societies outlined expectations from RPs, RSAs and newly formed MPACS, with emphasis on good governance, member mobilisation, operational preparedness and timely affiliation.
The need for transparency and efficiency at the grassroots level was highlighted as critical for the success of the new cooperatives.
Subsequent presentations by NABARD officials focused on gaps and challenges in operationalising MPACS, including delays in affiliation with the Assam Co-operative Apex Bank Ltd (ACAB), difficulties in preparing Business Development Plans (BDPs) and the need for greater clarity in initiating both credit and non-credit activities.
Providing a practical perspective, the director of the Institute of Cooperative Management, Guwahati, explained the step-by-step preparation of scientific BDPs, covering area profiling, assessment of member needs and financial planning.
The session underlined the importance of structured planning in helping MPACS develop viable and sustainable business models.
In the final technical session, officials from ACAB detailed the procedures for commencing credit operations and preparing Credit Limit Statements for accessing short-term credit.
They underscored the importance of proper documentation and credit discipline at the PACS level to ensure financial sustainability.
Participants welcomed the discussions for their practical orientation and relevance to field-level implementation.
NABARD, Assam Regional Office reiterated its commitment to supporting the cooperative sector through financial assistance, capacity-building and institutional development initiatives, noting that empowered MPACS are crucial for advancing Assam’s rural economy.
