Ahmedabad, May 18 (HS): Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the goal of registering PACS (Primary Agricultural Credit Societies) in every panchayat across India by 2029, while initiating a campaign for two lakh new service cooperative societies and dairies. To prevent PACS from facing financial distress as in the past, the government has integrated 22 activities with these societies, ensuring they remain economically healthy. A new policy will also be introduced to manage PACS in liquidation and facilitate the establishment of new ones. Shah delivered these remarks at a significant conference on cooperation held in Ahmedabad, attended by about 4,000 cooperative leaders, where 57 new initiatives in the cooperative sector and natural farming were discussed.
The United Nations has designated 2025 as the International Year of Cooperation, underscoring its global importance since 1919. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, a revival of India’s cooperative movement began in 2021. Modi had previously called for celebrating the cooperative year, where slogans like Prosperity through Cooperation were introduced. Shah highlighted the need for changes in the cooperative sector to reach grassroots levels, stressing the importance of awareness and transparency to strengthen cooperative institutions.
Shah noted the diminishing presence of cooperatives in many regions, but highlighted Gujarat’s resilience. He called on cooperative leaders to ensure equitable development across districts and states, with improvements to primary societies forming the basis of a robust cooperative structure. A vision of a three-tier cooperative system has been expanded to include a quadrilateral structure, aiming to solidify cooperative activities at various administrative levels.
The government has so far launched 57 initiatives to enhance cooperation across different sectors. A pilot project in Gujarat has aimed to foster collaborative operations among all cooperative entities, leading to a substantial increase in capital within the cooperative sector. Shah also noted the establishment of the Tribhuvan Cooperative University, focusing on cooperative education, and advocated for introducing sustainable practices, such as circular economies in dairy operations, to encompass animal health, feed management, and the efficient use of resources.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
