HYDERABAD, Aug 11: Sindh senior minister for finance and cooperative Syed Sardar Ahmed has said the provincial government is planning the revival of cooperative movement to boost agricultural production in Sindh.

He said the remission of mark-up on the payment of principal amount by Dec 31, would also be included in a package to be announced in this connection within short time. This he said while presiding over a one-day seminar on "Revival of Cooperative Movement" organized by the Management of Registrar Cooperative Societies Sindh here on Tuesday.

Syed Sardar Ahmed said cooperative societies would be allowed to function independently without government interference except its financial support to them. He said the previous system would be revived with certain amendments to reduce government interference in functioning of cooperative societies.

Besides, facilities for individual loaning and clearing their liabilities would also be allowed in new system of cooperative societies, he added. He said growers of Sindh were facing hardships not only in input facilities but also marketing of their products.

Appreciating the efforts of Punjab government for introducing the Kissan (Credit) Card and crop insurance policy to facilitate farmers, he said the Sindh government also intended to facilitate growers on the same pattern.

He said unfortunately the system of cooperative societies failed due to apathy of organizations concerned and cooperators as such Rs1125.709 millions were outstanding against 641 cooperative societies in Sindh.

Giving break-up of outstanding dues against cooperative societies of Sindh, the senior minister informed the seminar that Rs51.789 million were outstanding against 19 cooperative societies of Thatta, Rs62.241 million against 58 societies of Hyderabad, Rs186.109 million against 87 cooperative societies of Badin, Rs174.438 million against 65 cooperative societies of Dadu, Rs133.079 million against 135 cooperative societies of Mirpurkhas, Rs201.785 million against 65 cooperative societies of Sanghar, Rs27.142 million against 17 cooperative societies of Nawabshah, Rs37.321 million against 32 cooperative societies of Naushahro Feroze, Rs9.635 millions against 15 cooperative societies of Khairpur district, Rs16.176 million against 21 cooperative societies of Sukkur, Rs3.312 million against 5 cooperative societies of Ghotki, Rs8.113 million against 6 cooperative societies of Shikarpur, Rs142.956 million against 90 cooperative societies of Jacobabad and Rs71.613 million against 26 cooperative societies of Larkana as reported upto July 31, 2004.

He said the seminar was the first step to receive proposals for the revival of cooperative societies. He said after getting proposals and recommendations from stakeholders, a consolidated report would be prepared and tabled in the cabinet meeting to get the relief package approved.

The chairman of the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture, Syed Qamar Zaman Shah, said the movement of cooperative societies failed due to interference of governments for their political motives.

He said though relief packages were announced by the governments but had gone in vain due to unnecessary objections and attitude of bureaucrats. Consequently, people have stopped their payments.

He demanded that account books of the Provincial Cooperative Bank be adjusted with the Federal Cooperative Bank through the State bank of Pakistan. Mr Shah claimed the Provincial Cooperative Bank had paid more than it received from the Federal Cooperative Bank.

He demanded that cooperative societies system should be revived instead of establishing the Micro Credit Bank. The president of the Sindh Abadgar Board, Majeed Nizamani, said keeping in view the water scarcity, law and order situation, calamities, poverty and low literacy rate, old outstanding loans against cooperative societies be waived.

He said the interest free loaning system be introduced for farmers to boost up the agriculture production. Agha Shahabuddin said cooperative societies were essential for the development of agriculture sector.

He stressed the need for creating awareness about cooperative societies up to the union council level. Prof Aijaz Qureshi stressed for revamping old system of cooperative societies. He said only real agro marketing-oriented societies be encouraged and be linked with poverty reduction programme.

Col (Rtd) Khalid Mehmood said old loans outstanding against cooperative societies due to their disabilities be waived as similar opportunity had been provided to industrialists.