Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, emphasized the transformative role of cooperatives in rural life during a high-level review meeting held in Raipur. The meeting, which focused on the expansion of cooperatives in the state, also saw the launch of Primary Agriculture Credit Societies (PACS) across 33 districts, which will now function as Water Committees.
During the meeting, Shah underscored the government’s commitment to realizing Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of “Sahkar Se Samriddhi” (Prosperity through Cooperation). He highlighted the significant strides being made in Chhattisgarh, where all 2058 PACS have adopted Model Bye-Laws. He also introduced a new initiative that positions PACS as multipurpose units, capable of functioning as dairy and fisheries cooperatives in addition to their primary roles.
Shah proposed the introduction of a new public dairy scheme with a focus on tribal development, urging the state government to take the lead. He also recommended that PACS across the state be computerized and converted into Common Service Centers (CSCs) to ensure the benefits of cooperative activities reach every rural household.
In a significant move to boost maize cultivation, Shri Shah called for contracts between the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF), National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), and the state government for ethanol production. He assured farmers that the central government would purchase all their maize at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), further encouraging the shift towards maize farming, which he noted is cost-effective.
Additionally, Shah stressed the importance of registering all PACS on the NAFED and NCCF portals to streamline the sale of farmers’ produce. He also announced plans to set up multi-feed ethanol production plants in Chhattisgarh’s cooperative sugar mills, with the central government providing support for these initiatives.
To bolster the cooperative banking sector, Shah recommended the establishment of at least four more District Cooperative Central Banks (DCCBs) to complement the existing six, in light of the anticipated expansion of PACS in the state.
Shri Shah concluded by advocating for a collaborative approach among the state’s Animal Husbandry, Agriculture, Tribal Affairs, and Cooperative departments to drive economic development in rural and tribal areas, ensuring a holistic upliftment of the community.
The event was attended by several key figures, including Chhattisgarh’s Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai, Union Minister of State for Cooperation Shri Murlidhar Mohol, Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Shri Arun Sao, and Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Secretary of the Union Ministry of Cooperation.
