NABARD, ICAI, Office of Registrar of Cooperative Societies, and Arunachal Pradesh State Cooperative Apex Bank jointly organized a two-day capacity building programme at Naharlagun on May 11-12, 2024. The training targeted officers from APSCAB and 34 Large Sized Adivasi Multipurpose Cooperative Societies (LAMPS) in Arunachal Pradesh. Over 60 participants attended sessions on financial management, accounting systems, governance mechanisms, and digital transformation in cooperative institutions. The programme aligns with 'Sahakar Se Samriddhi' and 'Viksit Bharat' initiatives to strengthen rural cooperative financial infrastructure.

This capacity building initiative reflects NABARD's strategic approach to strengthening cooperative institutions as pillars of rural financial inclusion. Arunachal Pradesh's cooperative sector faces unique challenges due to its tribal demographics, difficult terrain, and limited financial literacy. The involvement of 34 LAMPS specifically targets Large Sized Adivasi Multipurpose Cooperative Societies, which serve as crucial last-mile credit delivery mechanisms in remote tribal areas. ICAI's participation ensures professional accounting standards adoption, addressing long-standing issues of financial transparency and governance in cooperative institutions. The programme's focus on digital transformation aligns with NABARD's broader digitization agenda under schemes like NABFINS and e-governance initiatives. This collaborative model between NABARD, professional bodies, state cooperative registrar, and apex cooperative banks demonstrates the multi-stakeholder approach needed for cooperative sector reforms. The timing coincides with the government's renewed focus on cooperatives through the Ministry of Cooperation, established in 2021, and the 'Sahakar Se Samriddhi' mission. For Arunachal Pradesh, strengthening these institutions is critical for agricultural credit flow, SHG-bank linkage, and achieving financial inclusion targets in one of India's most underbanked states. The programme directly impacts NABARD's mandate to promote rural cooperative institutions and build their capacity for sustainable rural development.