Co-operatives are only sector that assimilate people, contribute hugely: Amit Shah

The Union Minister for Home and Cooperation, Amit Shah, addressed a two-day National Conference of State Cooperation Ministers at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi today.

In his address, the Union Cooperation Minister said that this two-day conference will prove to be a step in the coming days to take cooperatives to a new level in this country.

He said that cooperatives in India are an old idea and culture, but if not make timely changes in any activity, it becomes out of date, and now the time has come for the cooperative sector to strengthen itself according to the needs of today. 

Shah said that the Ministry of Cooperation was formed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 6, 2021, and in almost a year, the Ministry has organised many meetings and conferences in all the related areas of cooperatives.

Shah stated that Cooperation is mainly a state subject and our constitution has left all the activities of cooperatives to the states, but in a vast country like India, the entire cooperative movement should follow the same path. For this, all the states have to decide their common views about it.

Shah said that it is most important to strengthen the PACS to strengthen the cooperative and that the Modi government has taken several initiatives for this purpose.

He told the cooperative ministers of the states that all of us together have to inculcate the spirit of Team India in the cooperative sector.

Amit Shah said that in the field of cooperatives, we have to adopt a uniform policy. The cooperative departments of every state should follow the same path and with the same subject. If we look at the cooperative sector, we see three parts of the country.

First, the developed states, are mostly in the west and south. Second, the developing states are in the middle and north. Third, the underdeveloped states, which are in the East and Northeast,

He said that it should be our endeavour that the cooperative movement should run equally in every state of the country.

Shah said that PM Modi has done the work of raising the standard of living of crores of poor people in the country as he has provided houses, drinking water, gas cylinders, free food grains for two years, all health facilities and electricity, and now the aspirations of these people have been awakened and they would like to contribute to the development.

But these people have very little capital, so a cooperative is the only way to do so. Co-operatives are the only sector in which a lot of people can come together and contribute hugely.

Shah further added that to consider this type of all-round development, a committee has been formed to prepare a cooperative policy having the representation of all states, and former Union Minister Suresh Prabhu.

Several dignitaries attended the conference, including Minister of State for Cooperation BL Verma, cooperative ministers from 21 states, and Lt. Governors from two Union Territories.