Maharashtra cooperative sector in poor health, shows state's survey

MUMBAI: Maharashtra is celebrating 2012 as the year of cooperative sector, but the latest Economic Survey tabled in the state legislature shows that the sector is in poor health.

There are 164 co-operative cotton ginning and pressing societies in the state (as of March 31, 2011), of which 81.1 per cent are making losses.

There are 167 co-operative spinning mills, of which 43.7 per cent are making losses. The share of state government in the capital of these societies is 64.3 per cent.

There are 685 co-operative handloom and 1,378 powerloom societies in the state. The contribution of state government to their share capital is 8.6 and 24 per cent respectively. About 49.3 per cent co-operative handloom and 71.6 per cent powerloom societies are loss-making.

Further, as many as 42.7 and 34.6 per cent co-operative dairy societies and dairy unions are respectively in the red. As of March 31, 2011, there are 27,110 co-operative dairy societies and 78 co-operative dairy unions in the state.

Of the sugar factories in the country, 32 per cent are located in Maharashtra. As of January 2012, the share of the state in the total cane crushed and sugar produced at national level was 62.1 per cent and 66.4 per cent respectively, much higher than Uttar Pradesh (where 23 per cent sugar factories are located) at 7 per cent and 5.2 per cent.