"Cooperative sector cannot be strengthened until benefits of reforms reach PACS, farmers": Amit Shah

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], May 18 (ANI): Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Sunday addressed the Maha Sammelan on the 'Role of Cooperatives in Building a Viksit Bharat' organised by Gujarat State Cooperative Federation in Ahmedabad here
Many dignitaries, including Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, were present on the occasion.
In his address, Shah said that the United Nations has decided to celebrate 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives. He said that the word cooperative is as relevant today for the whole world as it was in the year 1900, according to an official release from the Ministry of Cooperation.
Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a major effort to revive the cooperative movement in India began in 2021, and that is why the decision was made to launch the International Year of Cooperatives from India.

The Union Minister said that under the initiative started in 2021 under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, two guiding principles -- 'Sahkar se Samriddhi' and The Role of Cooperation in Viksit Bharat -- were presented to the nation. As part of that initiative, this cooperative conference is being organised in Gujarat.
He stated that the cooperative sector cannot be strengthened unless the benefits of the changes in this sector reach the grassroots level -- to Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and farmers.
Shah emphasized that this is why it is essential to promote cooperative institutions. We must strive to bring awareness, training, and transparency to all types of cooperative institutions.
The Union Minister of Cooperation said that during the International Cooperative Year, the Government of India has emphasized on "Science of Cooperation" and "Science in Cooperation". He said that our cooperative movement which started in the country during the freedom movement had gradually declined and nearly disappeared in large parts of the country.
He said it is the responsibility of all to expand the cooperative movement to every state and district. Additionally, the condition of primary cooperative societies in every state should improve, district-level institutions should be strengthened, and through them, the cooperative framework at the state and national levels should also be reinforced.
Shah further stated that a fourth tier has been added to the long-standing global three-tier cooperative structure. He emphasized that it is essential to expand cooperation across the entire country by strengthening national institutions related to every cooperative activity, state-level cooperative institutions, district-level institutions, and primary cooperative societies in every sector. He said that we must utilize the International Year of Cooperatives to achieve this.
The Union Minister said that this entire campaign is based on three pillars - integrating cooperation into the mainstream of governance, bringing transparency and authenticity to the cooperative movement through technology, and accelerating the process of connecting more and more citizens with the cooperative movement.
He stated that there is a need to work on these three pillars during the Cooperative Year and for this about 57 initiatives of various types have been taken so far by the Ministry of Cooperation, Government of India.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that "we must implement the concept of Cooperation Amongst Cooperatives at the primary level across the entire country, including Gujarat, so that the entire functioning of all cooperative institutions is carried out in coordination with other cooperatives."
He emphasized that all primary cooperative societies, dairies, etc., should have their bank accounts in the district cooperative banks. He said that "we must promote cooperation among all cooperative institutions and accelerate this effort."
Amit Shah said that the Modi government has established Tribhuvan Sahakari University which will work at the national level. He stated that in every state of the country, education related to all areas of cooperation is now being structured around the concept of cooperatives.
He emphasized that the "cooperative framework cannot be strengthened unless we strengthen PACS (Primary Agricultural Credit Societies). That is why the Modi government has decided to establish a PACS in every panchayat of the country by 2029. Under this decision, 2 lakh new PACS and dairies will be registered."
Shah further said that the government has integrated around 22 different activities with PACS. He also mentioned that the government will soon introduce a policy for the settlement of PACS that have gone into liquidation, as well as for the establishment of new PACS.
Union Minister of Cooperative said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, many new initiatives are going to be taken in the cooperative sector. He said that we need to strengthen the cooperative structure by using the International Cooperative Year 2025 to spread awareness among all the people, setting new dimensions of transparency and conducting recruitments. (ANI)