Govt sees cooperative model a ‘big medium’ for country’s development

Stressing the importance of cooperatives in the development of the country, Union Minister for Home and Cooperation Amit Shah on Friday assured that there would not be “second grade” treatment with cooperatives.




In his address after inaugurating the Seventh National Convention of Sahakar Bharati here on Friday, Shah said that “no one will be able to treat cooperatives as second grade (like second class citizens), I assure that”.

Stressing that overall development of any country cannot be achieved on the basis of communist principles, he said that cooperatives are a big medium and this model will have to be carried forward.

“Cooperatives are going to contribute a lot in the development of the country in the coming days as it is the only means by which the work of increasing the income of the smallest person and giving him respect can be done,” he said, adding that “every person should have a contribution in economic development and should benefit from it and this is not possible in anything other than cooperatives.”

“Modi government is committed to bring a new policy and in a short time we will start its activities through the Ministry of Cooperatives,” he said.

Terming PACS (Primary Agriculture Credit Society) as the soul in the agricultural system of the country, he said the Modi government is going to take up the task of computerising all the PACS soon.

Every PACS will be linked with District Co-operative Bank, District Co-operative Bank will be linked with State Co-operative Bank and State Co-operative Bank will be linked with NABARD. There will be a complete transparent system from NABARD to PACS and a software will be developed for ensuring that the complete activity is operated in local language, Shah said.

Appreciating Sahakar Bharati, Shah said it works with the objective of strengthening the spirit of cooperatives and making it a strong movement in the development of the country rather than contesting elections or getting anything.

Referring to the contribution of cooperatives in the country, he said that “the Lijjat Papad is the result of cooperatives, the milk you use from Amul is also a model of cooperative.”

He said changes are also going to be made in the Society Act for which suggestions will be sought from the people on the website for one and a half months.

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Speaking about the cooperative department of the state, he said it had remained a den of corruption in UP but after Yogi ji became the Chief Minister, the condition changed in four and a half years.

Earlier in another programme, Amit Shah inaugurated 28 grain godowns, bank headquarters building, 13 new branches of Uttar Pradesh Sahakari Bank and computerization in 294 PACS to be constructed at a cost of 155 crores in Lucknow.

Many prominent leaders including UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were present on the occasion.