The Sindh provincial co-operative societies department had cancelled registration of 158 co-operative societies during 2004-05 and the process of scrutiny was still continuing to weed out ineffective, non-functional and poorly managed societies.
In view of the poor performance of registered co-operative societies Sindh Minister of Industries, Commerce and Trade and Co-operatives Adil Siddiqui has instructed the co-operatives societies registrars to streamline their working and provide, to all registered co-operative societies, facilities as per law so that the people could get possession of their plots.
The Minister was presiding over a meeting of the registrars and deputy registrars of co-operatives department in his office on Saturday. Provincial Secretary Co-operative Mumtaz-ur Rehman and other officials were also present.
The Minister said that provincial co-operative department had a poor image and there was need to improve it.
He said that those allotted lands should get all residential facilities and it should be ensured that their grievances are addressed without any loss of time. He said that facilities should be strictly in accordance with law and no digression would be tolerated.
Adil said the department is a public utility department and it extensively deals with people. There should be no complaint from the people, he added.
He said that a large number of people are associated with co-operative societies and they avail of residential facilities through it. Therefore, extra care in handling their problems is needed.
He asked the officers to work hard and change the image of the department, which is very poor. This purpose could be achieved only after removing hurdles, cutting short of redtapism and other malpractice's that create inconveniences for the people.
Secretary Rehman said that 2671 registered co-operative societies were operative in Sindh, among which 1038 are housing societies, 1025 agricultural societies and 653 miscellaneous societies. These miscellaneous include multipurpose societies, marketing, credit, educational, women, maintenance, consumer products and fisheries societies.