As the State is in the midst of its 60th National Co-operative Week , the movement that was launched in the erstwhile union territory of Goa Daman and Diu way back in the year 1962 moves towards improving and fine tuning some of its discovered faults. With a stated objective of equitable distribution of wealth and eradication of poverty by it encompasses different aspect and sectors such as agriculture, credit, consumer, housing, dairy farming, and even transport. Specifically the movement was started in a bid to eliminate vested interests and exploitation of the common people and was initially governed under the provisions of the Maharashtra State Cooperative Societies Act, 1960 and the Rules made for it. Initially it was restricted to service, consumers, sugar factory and some urban Cooperative Banks but as time went by the movement grew and to cover the whole State.
The Government of Goa then enacted its own Act – The Goa Cooperative Societies Act, 2001 and the Goa Cooperative Societies Rules, 2003. However, these came into force from 26/01/2008 onwards. Under the new Act, the status of autonomous body is given to the Cooperatives of the State defining the roles and accountability at all levels.
In 2001 the co-operative rules were formed in the state but not implemented till 2008. But recently according to government sources new rules were framed and sent to law department, after it was noticed that when the earlier rules were implemented some shortfalls were observed. However, the new rules were kept on hold, the minister for cooperation Pandurang Deepak Dhavalikar said recently adding that t here was a suggestion to amend the Goa Co-operative Societies Act, 2001 and that they had decided to amend the Act “for an effective and positive change in the co-operative sector.’’
The Minister said that a Bill seeking amendment to the Goa Co-operative Societies Act, 2001, would be introduced in the next assembly session, and would be aimed at an effective co-operative sector expansion while speaking as the chief guest at the programme to commemorate the 60th National Co-operative Week, 2013 in Margao by the Goa State Co-operative Union Ltd in association with the Goa Co-operative Marketing and Supply Federation.
The functioning of different types of Cooperative Societies is controlled and monitored by the office of the Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Panaji through its four zonal offices set up at Mapusa, Panaji, Margao and Ponda.
There are all together 2471 different class of functional Cooperative societies having a total of 8,89,018 members under their fold which covers a sizable portion of the total population of the State of Goa.
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