In a significant step towards enhancing cooperative sectors, Tripura’s Cooperation Minister, Shukl Charan Noatia, along with a delegation of officials, visited Gujarat from August 4 to 7. The visit was encouraged by Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah during a meeting with various state ministers in Delhi. This visit aims to learn from Gujarat’s successful cooperative model, which has set a benchmark in the country.
The delegation met with Gujarat’s Cooperation Minister Jagdish Vishwakarma at the Circuit House in Gandhinagar. During this meeting, Vishwakarma provided detailed insights about Gujarat’s cooperative achievements. He highlighted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah, Gujarat has made remarkable progress in the cooperative sector. This progress has greatly benefited farmers, livestock breeders, and citizens involved in cooperatives.
Shukl Charan Noatia expressed his intent to replicate Gujarat’s cooperative successes in Tripura. He stated that the Cooperation Department is playing a vital role in strengthening the rural economy through cooperative initiatives. The Tripura minister emphasized that similar to Gujarat, they aim to develop the cooperative sector in Tripura to create more employment opportunities for farmers and livestock breeders, which would lead to significant rural economic growth.
During their stay, the Tripura delegation visited Banas Dairy to gather more information about cooperative dairy practices. They also planned to visit Amul Dairy, Tribhuvan Cooperative University, GSC Bank, and various milk cooperatives. These visits are aimed at understanding the operational efficiencies and benefits of these cooperatives.
Registrar Mitesh Pandya provided data showing that Gujarat has over 89,000 active cooperative societies across 251 talukas with more than 1.88 crore members. The state government has established essential facilities to support cooperatives, including over 10,000 PACS, 16,000 milk production committees, and 30,000 housing service committees.
Jayen Mehta, Managing Director of Amul Federation, shared that Amul has an annual turnover of ₹90,000 crores and includes more than 19,000 registered milk cooperatives. Notably, around 4,300 of these cooperatives are managed by women, and they collectively handle approximately 3 crore litres of milk daily. Amul has become the largest FMCG brand in India, benefiting over 36 lakh farmers and livestock breeders in the state.
In an innovative move, a pilot project named ‘Cooperative Taxi’ is set to launch soon. This initiative will enable taxi drivers to join the cooperative sector and avail themselves of its benefits. Pradeep Vora, CEO of GSC Bank, revealed that over the past six months, more than 27 lakh new bank accounts have been opened for farmers and livestock owners affiliated with cooperatives. Currently, more than 87% of the state’s 14,378 gram panchayats offer various banking services, including crop loans and micro ATM facilities, right at the doorstep of the villagers.
This visit by the Tripura delegation reflects a growing trend among states to learn from each other’s successful models. The cooperative sector is crucial for rural development and economic growth. By adopting best practices from Gujarat, Tripura hopes to strengthen its cooperative movement, ultimately benefiting its rural economy and improving the livelihoods of its citizens.
The meeting also saw participation from senior officials of Gujarat’s cooperative department and various cooperative societies, emphasizing a collaborative approach towards enhancing the cooperative framework across states. This initiative could pave the way for more states to adopt cooperative models that have shown success, fostering a spirit of cooperation and mutual growth across India.