New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed a Bill to broaden the mandate of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) to give loans and grants directly to cooperative societies without a debate. The NCDC, a statutory organisation under the Ministry of Cooperation, was established in 1963 under the National Cooperative Development Corporation Act, 1962. The Bill seeks to widen the institutional channels through which assistance may reach and strengthen the cooperative sector while cooperative societies will continue to remain the primary beneficiaries. "Since such entities may not be registered as cooperative societies, the corporation is presently unable to finance them directly, even where their activities are intended to benefit the cooperative sector. The National Cooperative Development Corporation Act, 1962, was amended in 1973, 1974 and 2002.