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The modern co-operative movement in India formally introduced in

1904,with the creation of The Indian Co-operative Societies Act. Since
then the co-operative movement has pervaded the socioeconomic
Atmosphere of the rural India. The co-operative movement became
one of the important instruments of rural development in the hands of
government and its proper use has been able to bring notable
transformation in the agrarian society in India. Here the term
development is fundamentally a Process of change that involves the
whole country ʹ its economic, political, social and physical structure as
well as value system and way of life .

In Maharashtra co-operative movement generally attributed to the
various personalities such As Ratnappa Kumbhar, Vasantdada
Patil,Rajarambapu Patil, Yashwantrao Mohite, Tatyasaheb Kore,
Yashwantrao Chavan,Vitalrao Vikhe-Patil, Shankarrao Mohite-Patil etc.
The great co-operative leader late Shri. Shankarrao Mohite-Patil
initiated and flourished co-operative movement at grass-root level
through Sugar Cooperatives, Cotton ginning mills, dairy co-operatives
and co-operative credit societies (agriculture and non agriculture).

the co-operative movement criticized by the peoples, contrary to this

co-operative movement in Malshiras taluka it is found to be ideally run
under the leadership of Shri. Vijaysingh Mohite-Patil, Minister of
Tourism and Rural Development, Maharashtra state.
 2

Sugar co-operatives also called as co-operative sugar factories, are
modern style sugar factories commonly owned and managed by
sugarcane growing farmers as co-operative societies. India is a major
sugar producing country with the annual production near about 20
million tons out of which 6 million tons producing in Maharashtra state.
In India sugar co-operatives were firstly founded latter half of 1940͛s
shortly after independence of the state of India. While sugar
cooperative in Maharashtra are highly valued as exceptional success
case of Indian co-operative movement. In Malshiras taluka four Sugar
co-operatives plays a vital role in the employment generation. The
wage labors and migratory seasonal labors engaging in the harvest and
transportation of sugarcane. In these sugar mills 3,327 employees are
permanent while 34400 laborers are working on either daily wages or
seasonal basis. Total beneficiary population depends on these sugar
industries is 82,500. The co-operative movement in India is criticized by
several scholars, but criticism against the sugar co-operatives in
Maharashtra state.

The reason behind this success is the role of personality factor in co-
operative development. In western part of Maharashtra state; the
sugarcane growing farmers have started in cooperative Societies and
allied organizations in the beginning of twentieth century. The origin of
sugar co-operatives initiated by Vitthalrao Vikhe-Patil; a peasant leader
in Pravaranagar village of Ahemadnagar district in year 1948.

After massive success of sugar co-operative flows in other part of state.

In Malshiras taluka peasant Leader Shri. Shankarrao Mohite-Patil,
founded Sahakar maharashi Shankarrao Mohite Patil Cooperative
Sugar Mill at Akluj in June 20, 1960 followed by Shri Shankar Co-
operative Sugar Mill at Sadashivnagar in Dec. 13, 1968 in same taluka.

 a

Indian Economy is agrarian and livestock is another agro allied sectors
which steady increasing the production of milk and other livestock
products. India having bovine population of 196 million cattle and
80million buffaloes together producing 84million tons of milk counting
13 percent of theworlds͛milk production. The dairy sector generates
employment for 9.8million people in principle and 8.6 in subsidiary
status, on the other hand contribution of agriculture going decline in
the Gross Domestic Production (GDP) of country. The dairy is the sub-
sector of agriculture economy occupies important position in
agriculture economy because of successive dairy co-operatives reaches
at the gross root level in the study universe.

The Shivaamarut Co-operative Dairy founded by late Shri Shankarrao

Mohite Patil in Jan. 27, 1976 it is one of the recognized co-operative
dairy industry in state. Besides collection of milk through the co-
operative dairy as well as by-products are also famous in market. This
dairy co-operative having 1358 permanent employees and 700
employees working on a daily wages. The total beneficiaries of this
Shivaamarut cooperative diary is 15,000 and majority of it are belongs
to marginal peasants. The co-operative poultry industry is founded in
November 13, 1965 was having 118 employees as a permanent and 315
temporary worker. Total beneficiaries population is 9098. Not that all
co-operatives set in always succeed. Some of them are fails due to
financial sickness. Cotton ginning and pressing co-operative mills
started in Maharashtra state during the sixties decade with a great deal
of enthusiasm.



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But many of them had closed down largely due to crop failure, market
uncertainties, and poor management and unskilled labor. On the other
hand Shankarrao Mohite-Patil Co-operative ginning mill in Study
universe was economically sound and carrying new expansion division.
This cotton mill having 109 permanent and 102 temporary employees
and total beneficiary population is7800. The history of co-operative
movement shows that there were women͛s credit societies in the old
Punjab state followed by Madras and Bombay. Maharashtra state is
number one state in respect of women͛s societies as well as urban
banks. The main objective of women͛s credit cooperative societies is to
solve the economical problems to providing them a small funding to
initiate the cottage level and small businesses. Women͛s Credit Co-
operative Societies in Malshiras Taluka playing an important role in
eradication of poverty and empowering weaker sections͛ women. The
53,927 peoples are getting the benefits from these societies as well as
it also employed 116 people. From the table no. 1 it is clear that 6514
employees are permanent workers and 36,793 employees are
temporary workers engaged in the various agro-based industries in the
Malshiras taluka and total beneficiary population is 1,77,040.









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Now a day co-operative movement is well recognized movement in
India. The co-operative movement would and should support rural
development because of it is moral movement and human in social
beings and should in co-operation, work for common work (SalokheV.
1994) on the other hand there should be requirement of critical
analysis how the co-operatives play significant role in rural
development.

The elements of rural development involves following elements.

(1) Full utilization of the available physical and human resources in the
rural areas with functional linkage
(2)Development of agriculture and allied activities is also necessary
(3) There should be development of rural industries and
(4) Focus of development should be on rural poor with their effective
participation in the development process.