While the manufacturing sector came to a standstill across the countries, co-operative enterprises thrived during the Covid pandemic underlining the resilience of this mode of doing business, said Santosh Gangwar, Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Generation speaking during the valedictory function of 67th All India Cooperative Week organized by NCUI.
The robust supply-chain mechanism of co-op bodies such as IFFCO, Amul or Kribhco remained active during lockdowns, proving the worth of the co-op model, said Gangwar amidst thunderous applause from the co-op enthusiasts who had gathered in the NCUI auditorium for the event.
Gangwar also lauded the role of Nafed which played a sterling innings during Lockdowns and provided rations to nearly 20 crore families across states. Besides, he named IFFCO for launching a massive campaign of Covid awareness by organizing meetings and distributing masks and sanitizers.
The Minister also informed that the Ministry of State for Labour and Employment Generation is coming up with four labour codes by amalgamating the 44 labour laws. Earlier, 10 crore organized labours were considered but Modi govt has expanded it to 50 crore by adding 40 crore of labours from the unorganized sector. He felt cooperatives would be benefitted by the new labour codes being enacted by the government. .
Recalling his long association with the cooperative movement, he said that he was actively involved in establishment of the urban cooperative bank in Bareilly which has maintained zero NPA for long. Good work can be done through co-operatives, he added.
N Satya Narayana, Chief Executive, NCUI in his welcome speech said that the cooperative model emerged strong during the covid crisis and cooperatives are the best medium to implement government schemes and programs.
Since Chandra Pal Singh Yadav, whose photograph was displayed on the invitation card was not there, GH Amin, Vice President of NCUI presided over the meeting. Speaking on the occasion Amin said that the government of Gujarat through the medium of cooperatives has very well implemented Atmanirbhar Gujarat Sahay Yojana under which the under-privileged sections of society were given loans to initiate economic activities during the period of covid 19.
Senior co-operator Dileep Bhai Sanghani proposed a vote of thanks. Speaking on the occasion Sanghani said there are 6000 foreign companies operating in India. “What happens to their profit we do not know but what we know is the fact that co-ops distribute their profit to its members”, he said underlining the need to have more and more co-ops in the country.
Besides thanking the Chief Guests and others, Sanghani also thanked the audience for showing keen interest in the function despite NCUI being caught in the process of elections. Satish Marathe, Jyotindra Mehta, Uday Joshi, Ashok Dabas and several other co-operators were present as part of the audience.
NCUI’s publications The Cooperator and Hindi magazine Deepshikha were released on the occasion, while NCHF Bulletin was also released.
