It became obvious on the occasion of the 100th International Co-op Day event that the newly formed Cooperation Ministry under Amit Shah is ahead of the thinking of cooperators of the country.
Several leaders spoke before Shah demanding one thing or the other from the Ministry and when Shah’s turn came to make a speech it became obvious that the Ministry had already taken decisions on these issues.
Dr Chandra Pal Singh, ICA AP President requested the Ministry to help start co-op courses in the curriculum of school education so that youth could be drawn to the idea of cooperation.
In his reply Shah informed that a Co-op University is already shaping up. He also informed that the said University will seek help from NCUI and would integrate all the different co-op education and training institutes of the country.
Shah also gave a hint that future co-op recruitment would be sourced from such a university, so that the issue of favouritism could also be tackled. He stressed the professional management of co-ops for their bright future.
Calling PACS as an upcoming nodal agency in village life, Shah said the Ministry is waiting for states’ responses on the model bylaws for PACS, prepared by the Ministry. PACS being a state subject the ball lies in their court.
Suresh Prabhu a former Union Minister and a veteran cooperator demanded that PACS should be multipurpose, co-op should have professional management and taxes on co-op should be minimum, among other things.
Replying, Amit Shah said that PACS are not being made only multipurpose but also multidimensional. Each PACS will undertake 25 types of activities ranging from agriculture to the needs of modern times. These PACS will be operated by a professional team sourced from the co-op university.
Even Parshottam Rupala’s idea of NCUI patronizing a Co-op University was answered by Shah’s speech. Amit Shah said that the Ministry would start a Co-op University and would seek help from NCUI in this. The said University will act as an apex institution for all the co-op training and education arms of NCUI.
It was perhaps only NCUI President Dileep Sanghani who made no demand, maybe because he was already aware of various plans of the Ministry. Sanghani only said that the PM’s slogan of Sahakar se Samriddhi is to be elevated as a mantra for co-ops of the country.
Towards the end of his speech in a lighter vein Amit Shah said “don’t ask us to do this or that, start doing it and you will find us keeping pace with you”.
