NONGSTOIN: IPS officer GHP Raju, who is currently the Principal Secretary, Veterinary & Animal Husbandry Department and also Cooperation Department, said that law and order issues can be tackled in the right earnest if poverty is alleviated.
GHP Raju was interacting with farmers under the banner of the Hill Farmers’ Union at the MeCoFED hall, Nongstoin. Raju, who is operating in a new avatar, said that this visit to Nongstoin as Principal Secretary of the two departments is a paradigm shift from his earlier role of a police officer.
At the awareness programme on the piggery mission, Raju interacted with the farmers on various missions of the state government, which is a complete shift from his role of a police officer.
“I am basically an IPS officer serving the state for the last 25 years as a cop, now the time has come for me to help the poor farmers who are grappling with poverty”, he said.
He observed that poverty can be alleviated through the intervention of the various missions of the state government such as the milk mission, piggery mission and strawberry cultivation.
Earlier in an interview with this newspaper, Raju had stated that Meghalaya has about 5.54 lakh households (families). Of these, 4.85 lakh (88 per cent) are rural households. As per the Socio Economic and Caste census (SECC) 2011 data, nearly 3.32 lakh households are considered for channelising poverty alleviation programmes.
“It is within our reach through proactive cooperative interventions to reach out to and transform the lives of the families living below poverty line in our state through Aqua-culture, Piggery, Dairy, Mushroom, Apiculture, Jackfruit Missions combined. The Department of Cooperation will be in the forefront to take these missions to the doorsteps of the farmers,” Raju said.
Raju pointed out that another area of concern for the Department of Cooperation is the Cooperative Credit structure in the state. He said credit flow to the cooperative farmers is critical not only to kick-start economic activities in villages but also for the necessary working capital to sustain economic activities initiated by the farmers. Though banks (both cooperative banks and other commercial banks) have agro-credit commitments towards the farmers, the process and the structure stifle flow of credit to farmers.
Touching on a core issue that stifles agriculture in Meghalaya, Raju said the requirement for collaterals to secure loans from banks is a huge problem for the farmers. He also stated that non-availability of credit at nominal interest rates has resulted in registered cooperative societies becoming non-functional.
Meghalaya has 2005 registered cooperative societies as on March, 2020, and their subjects range from Agriculture produce to housing, fisheries, dairy, handloom, transport, horticulture, piggery, etc., Raju informed, adding, “We can form cooperatives around certain unique local products such as Broomgrass, Lakadong Turmeric, Honey, Mushrooms, Long pepper, Ginger, Strawberry, each of which can be a money-spinner, if handled properly. The key lies in mobilisation, departmental motivation and massive capacity building of the people”.
The police officer turned bureaucrat lamented that about 500 registered cooperative societies became non-functional in Meghalaya due to poor credit flow to these societies. Traditional land holding system in the society prevents individual ownership over land. Coupled with lack of thrift and savings in domestic financial planning the result is miniscule fixed deposits or LIC policies by the farmers to use these securities as collaterals for taking credit from the banks, Raju observed.
Poverty alleviation of the farming community is Raju’s current mission which he also believes will be addressed if peace prevails, and peace will prevail if poverty is alleviated, he said.
It may be mentioned that Raju was the Superintendent of Police in East Khasi Hills during 2000-2001 at the height of HNLC activities.