She also urged the government to bring in appropriate amendments in the Banking Regulation Act which was already approved by the RBI, to enable setting up of the proposed National Co-operative Bank of India (NCBI). This proposal is long pending with the Union finance ministry.

She stated that the the amendments to the Multi-State Cooperative Act, 1984 should incorporate fully the basic principle of cooperation of open membership, democratic member control, autonomy and independence as enunciated by ICA, the Brahmprakash Committee and other expert bodies. This matter is long pending with the Union agriculture ministry.

She said she had recently written to the Congress chief ministers requesting them to amend their state laws governing cooperative societies. The chief ministers were already looking into the matter and the Congress-ruled states would soon have progressive laws giving autonomy, independence and democratic control to the cooperatives.

She said she believed that cooperatives could act as the best vehicle for promoting a more equitable sharing of benefits of economic growth and capturing the gains of economic liberalisation for the poor.

She also expressed shock at the recent murder of Shiv Kumari, a widow of the Kargil war victim in Sultanpur district of UP and to use his personal influence of the state government to ensure that the perpetrators of this dastardly murder are speedily brought to justice. The compensation amount should not be go either to the in-laws or anyone else. It should revert to the appropriate fund like the War Widows Welfare Fund for providing direct support to the surviving children of the deceased.. There must be effective policies and laws to protect the widows and children of martyred soldiers from their in-laws and others.