ROLE OF CONSUMERS' COOPERATIVES IN DISTRIBUTIVE TRADE AND WELFARE IN MEERUT DIVISION (INDIA)

Abstract

Consumers' cooperatives are the voluntary organisa tions of consumers organized to obtain their services on terms of greatest advantage to them. These organizations, have, as amatter of fact, came into existence partly in response to increasing consumer awakening exigencies created by war, drought etc. and partly due to continual Government support which sought to develop it as an economically viable alternative to the market system. These have been perceived as a correct reply to the distorted market mechanism wide-income disparities, widely practised adulteration, inflationary conditions (owing to the persistent budgetary deficit) and have also been considered instrumental in relieving the lower strata of the society of the stress and strain caused tothem by above mentioned factors. Since the consumers' cooperative stores have to deal with consumers, the difficulties faced and advantages generated by them to the consumers are almost of the same magnitude throughout the country despite wide diversities in language, culture, geographic terrain. Therefore, it was decided to undertake the study of a particular area rather than of the entire country. Meerut Division of the Uttar Pradesh, which is also the biggest populated state of India has been chosen for the reasons of proximity. -111- The study is based on primary and secondary data. For the collection of primary data 22 primary consumers' cooperative stores (i.e. 20 percent of all the primary stores) have been selected out of 107 primary consumers' cooperative stores. All the seven Wholesale Central Consumers' Cooperative Stores have also been included in the survey. The survey has been conducted on the basis of stratified random sampling. Twenty consumers belonging to almost each income level have also been selected for the interview purposes in each selected primary consumers' cooperative stores on stratified random sample basis to sort out their problems with respect to cooperative stores. The study, while tracing out the history of consumers' cooperative stores in India draws the inference that the development of these organisations gathered momentum only after independence, it appears that these cooperatives have yet to prove their economic viability by accomplish ing the long aspired goals of providing provisions to the consumers on the advantageous terms, diversification and successful competition with the oPen market traders. It has also been concluded that though these stores have helped the consumers in numerous ways, their administration is required to be streamlined and run on sound business principles.