TFP Bureau, Raipur, November 12, 2024: A week-long strike by the managers and employees of Primary Agricultural Credit Cooperative Societies (PACCS) in Chhattisgarh ended on Tuesday following the proactive intervention of Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai. The strike, which had been ongoing for eight days, was brought to a resolution after the Chief Minister personally addressed the long-pending demands of the employees, resulting in the approval of a 25% increase in their salaries and allowances.
The demands had been pending for over six years, and the salary hike marked the first increase for approximately 13,000 cooperative society employees since 2018. Within just 24 hours of the Chief Minister’s intervention, the Registrar of Cooperative Societies took action and approved the pay raise.
In addition to the salary increase, an inter-departmental committee has been formed to address further concerns raised by the employees, including those related to rice procurement centers and related facilities. The committee will involve departments such as Food, Finance, Agriculture, and the Marketing Federation, with the aim of finding lasting solutions to improve the operational environment for cooperative societies.
Following the resolution of these key issues, employees returned to their posts, assuring the public that preparations for the upcoming paddy procurement season would proceed smoothly. Chief Commissioner of Cooperatives and Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Mr. Kuldeep Sharma, has also directed officials to ensure transparency and efficiency in the procurement process, starting November 14, 2024.
The Chhattisgarh Cooperative Committee Employees Federation, which initiated the strike on November 4, officially declared it over, expressing gratitude to the Chief Minister and other key officials, including Cooperative Minister Shri Kedar Kashyap, Food Minister Shri Dayal Das Baghel, and Cooperative Commissioner Mr. Kuldeep Sharma, for their swift and decisive action in addressing the workers’ concerns.
