Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday formed a high power committee headed by chief secretary to address various problems of cooperative society and to look into problems of cooperative banks in the state.

The committee within six months will report to chief minister Miss Banerjee and recommend ways and means to improve the services of cooperative banks, societies and welfare of the members in the state. All necessary measures will be taken to revive the Cooperative Banks after the report will be placed, Miss Banerejee said.

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Miss Banerjee was speaking at a convention organised by cooperation department at Netaji Indoor Stadium. The committee will place its findings on how to improve business of the cooperative banks, set up new branches at places where there are no banks and how to meet the workers’ demands, she said. She asked the department to verify the credentials of beneficiaries before sanctioning loan.

There are some discrimination among the members and many members are poorly paid, the committee will address the problem, she said. The department has been neglected for many years, so it needs extra care to revive it, she said. Cooperative has no alternative and it plays pivotal role for socio economic development of rural areas, Miss Banerjee said.

Miss Banerjee appreciated the cooperative’s role for setting up banks in nonbanking area (rural areas) and extending support to poor people. “Now there are eighty five banks in rural areas,” Miss Banerjee urged for setting up atleast two hundred banks in rural areas. She also appreciated cooperation department for introducing mobile ATM services in rural areas.

Cooperative banks in the state should improve themselves by being transparent and accountable and conduct internal audit periodically to bring transparency, Miss Banerjee said. Today’s convention was called to revive cooperation department, Miss Banerjee said adding, only 2,631 cooperative societies are active out of total five thousands cooperative societies in the state. Rest of the cooperative societies also need to be active to bring back its old glory, she said.

The chief minister also appreciated the department for introducing Krishan credit card and its procedure for purchasing paddy directly from farmers. Miss Banerjee said that all cooperative employees and members will be brought under the ambit of Swasthya Sathi scheme, a health scheme that will provide financial assistance for treatments worth up to Rs 5 lakh per year for an employee.