Co-op Week: Sanghani greets nation; vows to overcome fund crunch

The apex body of cooperatives, NCUI, organized an event on the occasion of the 71st All India Cooperative Week at its headquarters, with the theme “Role of Cooperatives in Building Viksit Bharat.”

At the event, NCUI President Dileepbhai Sanghani, ICA-AP President Chandra Pal Singh Yadav, Vice-President Bijendra Singh, NCCF Chairman Vishal Singh, Pune District and Maharashtra State Co-operative Housing Societies Federation President Suhas Patwardhan, NCUI Chief Executive Sudhir Mahajan, Savitri Singh, and other dignitaries were present.

On the occasion, NCUI President Dileepbhai Sanghani congratulated everyone and extended his greetings for the All India Cooperative Week. He also took a moment to honor the contributions of pioneers, whose dedication has brought the cooperative movement to its current stature.

Sanghani, however, expressed his disappointment over the challenges in providing regular training at the district and primary levels due to the transfer of the Cooperative Education Fund from NCUI to the Union Ministry of Cooperation.

He said, “Despite the challenges of a fund crunch, NCUI is still managing to organize training programs, and we are also making efforts to expand these initiatives.”

He further noted that cooperatives in India are making significant contributions to national development and helping to reduce unemployment. He added that with the support of the Prime Minister and the Union Home and Cooperation Minister, the image of the cooperative sector is being strengthened.

Sanghani also informed participants about the upcoming ICA Global Conference, which is being organized in India for the first time at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, and encouraged them to participate in the event.

Addressing the event, ICA-AP Chairman Chandra Pal Singh Yadav highlighted that cooperatives have not only contributed to reducing unemployment in the country but also hold significant potential for curbing inflation.

“Cooperatives in India have a vast network and are the only sector competing with multinational companies. They are not only supporting farmers by providing high-quality urea but also assisting in procuring crops at MSP with government support,” he added.

NCUI Chief Executive Sudhir Mahajan emphasized the importance of the All India Cooperative Week and shared updates on NCUI’s ongoing activities. “Apart from training, NCUI is expanding its focus to other allied activities. We organized a comprehensive consultation workshop with the Rural Technology Action Group (RuTAG) at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and joined hands with the HCL Foundation to extend branding support to cooperatives,” he added.

Mahajan further shared, “In a major step toward sustainable agriculture and rural development, NCUI and CARD have signed an MoU to leverage cooperative models for enhancing farmers’ incomes and rural welfare. Through the incubation center, we have mobilized people living in slum areas.”

On the occasion, an E-Course on the Management of Cooperative Housing Societies was launched, and an MoU was signed between the National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) and the Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE).

NCUI Deputy Chief Executive Savitri Singh gave a vote of thanks.