Baripada, September 25, 2026 (Dr. Gour Das Giri):As per the directions of the Cooperation Department of the Government of Odisha, a district-level programme for the Cooperative Membership Drive “Sambandh” was organised today at the Prayas Conference Hall, Baripada, under the chairmanship of Ashok Kumar Pani, Deputy Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Mayurbhanj.
The programme was attended by Tusharkanti Mahanty, Dr. Satyaprakash Sethi (ARCS), senior BJP leader and advocate Narottam Panigrahi, senior cooperative experts, intellectuals, officials from various departments and farmers.
At the state level, the programme was inaugurated by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. During the state-level event, the Chief Minister inaugurated completed infrastructure projects of cooperative societies and laid foundation stones for new infrastructure projects. The proceedings were telecast live, along with the district-level programme in Mayurbhanj.
The main objective of the “Sambandh” Cooperative Membership Drive is to bring all families residing in rural areas under the cooperative movement and work towards their social and economic development. As Odisha is predominantly an agricultural and rural-based state, Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies/LAMPS play an important role in meeting farmers’ credit requirements and providing various agricultural services.
As many rural families are yet to become members of cooperative societies, the government has undertaken this initiative to enrol eligible families as cooperative members and improve their economic and social well-being.
The “Sambandh” membership drive will commence on October 1, 2026, and continue for two months until November 30, 2026. Any person aged 18 years or above from a rural family can register as a member of the cooperative society/LAMP functioning in their locality. Other government departments will also extend support to the Cooperation Department in implementing the programme. Cooperative Mitras will be deployed at the LAMP level to assist people with the registration process.
It is expected that the drive will increase the membership of cooperative institutions and further strengthen them. In recent years, 151 new LAMPS have been established in Mayurbhanj district, enabling people to access cooperative services closer to their homes.
The cooperative societies in the district are providing farmers with agricultural and allied loans as well as various facilities, including fertilisers, seeds, cattle feed, small agricultural machinery, facilitation centres, milk collection centres, paddy and OMFED procurement centres, and consumer goods outlets such as NAFED stores.
With financial assistance from the government, 30 LAMPCS have recently been provided with office and warehouse buildings at a total cost of ₹8.34 crore.
The government is making efforts to bring essential services within easy reach of rural communities through the cooperative system and improve their economic and social well-being. Through the “Sambandh” initiative, the government aims to connect families across the state with the cooperative movement.
Dr. Satyaprakash Sethi’s impressive speech captivated the audience and served as a source of inspiration for the farming community as well as departmental employees.
