Four co-op courts proposed in State

Cooperative Minister Lakshman S Savadi told reporters here on Monday that about 55,000 cases pertaining to cooperative sector had been pending for long. Four courts - one each in Bangalore, Belgaum, Mysore and Gulbarga will be set up to clear the pendency.

Savadi said farm credit would be extended at one per cent interest to 25 lakh farmers  this year. A high-level committee has been constituted to recover dues to credit cooperative societies.

The Government will take over cooperative societies which have registered losses for three consecutive years. The Union and State Governments have together released Rs 760 crore to strengthen cooperative institutions on the basis of Vaidyanathan report, Savadi said.