Delhi, 5 August (H.S.): Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah led the second meeting of the Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Cooperation in New Delhi, focused on enhancing the cooperative sector. Union Ministers of State for Cooperation Krishan Pal and Murlidhar Mohol, alongside committee members and senior officials, participated in the meeting.

Amit Shah emphasized the Ministry's dedication, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guidance, to transforming cooperatives into successful business entities. He mentioned the ambitious goal of establishing 2 lakh multipurpose cooperative societies within five years, noting that 35,395 new societies, including 6,182 Multipurpose Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (MPACS), 27,562 dairy, and 1,651 fisheries cooperatives, have already been created.

He stated that the cooperative sector can significantly enhance the livelihoods of landless and impoverished individuals. To support this, three national level cooperative societies have been established to boost agriculture and farmers: National Cooperative Organic Limited (NCOL) for organic product certification and marketing, National Cooperative Export Limited (NCEL) to facilitate international market access for farmers' products, and Bharatiya Beej Sahkari Samiti Limited (BBSSL) for traditional seed conservation and production. Contracts for traditional seeds will also be made with small farmers.

The Minister urged committee members to strengthen their states' dairy sectors, highlighting over 100 initiatives taken in the past four years to bolster Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), dairy, fisheries, cooperative banks, sugar cooperatives, and governance systems. The National Cooperative Policy-2025 outlines a roadmap for sustainable cooperative development, integrating with government schemes like Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and National Dairy Development Program (NPDD) to enhance the cooperative ecosystem at the grassroots level. He declared an intention to increase milk procurement by 50% over the next five years under the cooperative-led White Revolution 2.0.

The Ministry presented the initiatives undertaken in the last four years, outlining the establishment of institutional mechanisms such as Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC), National Level Coordination Committee (NLCC), State Cooperative Development Committees (SCDC), and District Cooperative Development Committees (DCDC) for effective implementation and monitoring. It was noted that the Tribhuvan Sahkari University was declared an institution of national importance, aimed at standardizing cooperative education and training in India. Efforts continue to enhance milk procurement significantly, with new Dairy Cooperative Societies registered and existing ones strengthened.

The Consultative Committee offered suggestions for further reinforcing the cooperative sector, and the Ministry reiterated its commitment to empowering cooperatives as vital drivers of growth, equality, and self-reliance in rural India.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar