On the 18th of October, Ahmedabad hosted the Gujarat Cooperative Mahasammelan 2025. The event was chaired by Amit Shah, the Union Home and Cooperation Minister. It was attended by prominent figures, including Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. This gathering aimed to strengthen the cooperative movement in India, especially in Gujarat.
Amit Shah highlighted that the United Nations will celebrate the year 2025 as International Cooperative Year. He stressed the importance of reviving the cooperative movement, which is as relevant today as it was in the 1900s. He urged the attendees to make cooperatives a vital part of rural development. “Cooperation leads to prosperity,” he stated.
The minister shared that by 2029, the government plans to register around two lakh new primary agricultural credit societies and dairies across the country. This initiative aims to empower rural communities and farmers. Shah emphasized the need for transparency and education in the cooperative sector to ensure its benefits reach the grassroots level.
He mentioned the importance of the cooperative model in India’s development and proposed a four-tier cooperative structure to replace the existing three-tier system. This new structure aims to strengthen cooperatives at the national level.
Amit Shah also talked about the need for every village cooperative to have its accounts in a cooperative bank. He praised the work done in districts like Panchmahal and Banaskantha, where dairy and cooperative activities have thrived.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel expressed pride in the achievements of the Indian Army and highlighted the role of cooperatives in uplifting the rural population. He pointed out that there are over 89,000 cooperative societies in Gujarat, with around 1.7 crore members involved in these organizations.
During the event, Shah announced the establishment of India’s first cooperative university named after Tribhovan Patel. This university aims to promote cooperative education in Gujarat, ensuring that the state takes the lead in this field.
The minister shared that the cooperative structure must evolve to support natural farming and sustainable practices. He called for policies to ensure that new cooperatives do not fail and can contribute to the agricultural sector effectively.
The event saw the launch of the ‘Sahakar Sankalp’ book, which serves as a guide for the cooperative sector. Shah’s focus on the cooperative movement aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Prosperity through Cooperation’. The cooperative movement is seen as a vital element in achieving a developed India by 2047.
Amit Shah’s leadership is credited with significant changes in the cooperative sector since the establishment of a dedicated Ministry of Cooperation. This ministry has empowered cooperative organizations and increased public trust in the cooperative model.
More than 4,500 cooperative leaders and representatives attended the Mahasammelan, showcasing the commitment to strengthen the cooperative sector across various levels of governance. The event marked a significant step towards a more robust cooperative framework in Gujarat and India as a whole.
Leave a Reply