NABARD underscores entrepreneurship through cooperatives
GUWAHATI: NABARD, Assam Regional Office organised a State-Level Workshop on MPACS Development for Resource Support Agencies (RSAs) and Resource Persons (RPs) Wednesday at its Guwahati office. The workshop aimed to strengthen the institutional and entrepreneurial capacities of newly formed Multipurpose Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (MPACS) and enhance field-level coordination across districts.
The programme commenced with a welcome address by Shri Loken Das, Chief General Manager, NABARD, Assam RO, followed by a keynote address by Shri Narayan Konwar, Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Assam. During his address, the RCS, Assam, highlighted that fostering a strong culture of entrepreneurship through cooperatives is essential for enabling MPACS to evolve into vibrant community-based institutions capable of promoting rural economic development.
Following the inaugural session, the workshop progressed through a series of thematic technical sessions chaired by Qamar Javed, General Manager, NABARD. In the first session, official from the office of RCS, Govt. of Assam outlined the key expectations from RPs, RSAs and the newly formed MPACS, particularly in the areas of governance, member mobilisation, operational readiness and timely affiliation, emphasising the need for transparent and efficient functioning at the grassroots.
This was followed by a presentation by NABARD officials, who highlighted major gaps and challenges in MPACS operationalisation, including delays in affiliation with ACAB, issues in preparation of Business Development Plans (BDPs) and the need for clarity on initiating credit and non‑credit activities. The subsequent session by the Director, Institute of Cooperative Management (ICM), Guwahati provided practical insights into the stepwise preparation of scientific BDPs - covering area profiling, member need assessment and financial planning - to support MPACS in developing viable business strategies.
The final Technical Session, conducted by officials from the Assam Co‑operative Apex Bank Ltd., (ACAB), explained the procedures for commencement of credit operations and preparation of Credit Limit Statements (CLS) for accessing Short‑Term Credit, underscoring the importance of sound documentation and credit discipline at the PACS level.
The discussions received positive feedback for their practical orientation and usefulness for field-level implementation. NABARD, Assam RO reiterated its continued support to the cooperative sector through financial, capacity‑building and institutional development initiatives, emphasising that empowered MPACS are vital for advancing Assam’s rural economy.