Itanagar, Nov 20 (IANS) Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Thursday said that the High Level Task Force (HLTF) was constituted by the Union DoNER Ministry to achieve self-reliance in milk, egg, fish and meat production across the Northeast region.

Khandu, who heads the HLTF, said that a robust five-year plan is in process with targets set till 2030. He said that the role of cooperative societies would be significant for achieving the goal of self-reliance in these vital products.

The Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) ministry had constituted several High-Level Task Forces to identify key interventions and formulate actionable short-term, medium-term, and long-term strategies for the integrated development of the North East Economic Corridor.

The task forces were constituted following the 72nd plenary session of the North-Eastern Council (NEC) held in November last year in Agartala and presided over by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The Arunachal Pradesh State Cooperative Union (APSCU) celebrated its weeklong Golden Jubilee that concluded on Thursday, marking 50 years of the cooperative movement in the state.

Addressing the meet, Chief Minister Khandu highlighted the remarkable journey of APSCU, originating in 1969 during the NEFA era and evolving today into a network of 1,449 cooperative societies with over 2.2 lakh members engaged across agriculture, handloom, dairy, artisanal sectors, and other rural enterprises.

He acknowledged the vital role cooperatives have played in transforming livelihoods, especially in remote regions where institutional support was earlier limited.

Khandu placed on record the Government’s appreciation for the unprecedented 27-district revival tour undertaken by the APSCU Chairman and his team between December 2024 and April 2025, during which they interacted with more than 87,500 cooperative members and 1,500 LAMPS/PACS units.

The tour revealed several critical gaps, including, lack of awareness of cooperative principles, inadequate infrastructure in 26 district unions, and the absence of cooperative banking in many areas. Calling the Golden Jubilee “a turning point,” the Chief Minister assured comprehensive government support for the revitalisation of the cooperative movement.

He announced that the state government will work closely with APSCU to implement key reforms and infrastructure development. With the model code of conduct for the local body elections in force, Khandu refrained from making any public announcements.

He, however, assured that the requests made in a memorandum submitted by the Union will be positively taken up by the government once the elections are over.

He emphasised that strengthening cooperatives is central to achieving Atma Nirbhar Arunachal, and that APSCU must evolve into an autonomous and professional apex institution capable of guiding policies, ensuring transparency, empowering women and youth, and creating sustainable rural wealth.

For this to happen, he called for proper training at all levels, market research and the sincerity of the members.

“The coming years must witness APSCU emerging as a robust, modern, and people-centric institution. With renewed policies and infrastructure, I am confident that APSCU will lead Arunachal Pradesh into a new era of cooperative-led growth,” Khandu added.

–IANS

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