Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah today attended the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of National Federation of State Co-operative Banks Limited (NAFSCOB) and national meeting of Rural Cooperative Banks at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. Many dignitaries including Union Ministers of State for Cooperation Shri Krishan Pal and Muralidhar Mohol, and Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation were present on the occasion.
In his address, Shri Amit Shah underlined that there are two main objectives of celebrating the diamond jubilee celebrations of any institution– first, to showcase the contribution and achievements of the institution in the last 60 years; second, to look at its mistakes and improve them.
He said that without the three-tiered structure of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), district level and state level banks, it was impossible for India’s agriculture, farmers and villages to successfully complete the journey of 75 years of independence. He added that in a vast country like India, the system of disbursing short-term agricultural loan to about 13 crore farmers without any hassle has been instrumental in giving a new lease of life to farmers and the agriculture sector of thecountry.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that the district and state level banks have not only taken care of short term agricultural loans, but the district level banks and PACS have also breathed a new life into every aspect, ranging from collective farming, water management, materials used in farming and individual work to strengthening the village, with the support from the state level bank.
Shri Amit Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, today India is moving from‘Sahkar Se Samriddhi’ to ‘Samriddhi Se Sampoornata’. He said that the objective of establishing the Ministry of Cooperation is also contained in the mantra of‘Sahkar Se Samriddhi’. He said that in 2027, India’s economy will be the third largest economy in the Worldwhich is also a goal of the cooperative sector.
Shri Shah said that along with this, the objective of the Ministry of Cooperation is to also to take care of the happiness of 140 crore people of the country. He said that cooperatives do not envisage economic development in which the country progresses but the countrymen lag behind, but it favours equal development for all.
He said that along with the development of the country’s economy, the development of our farmers, rural, Dalit, tribal and women is also very important. He said that Mahatma Gandhi kept the vision of Gramin Swaraj(Rural self-rule) and Ramrajya in front of us and to make it a reality, Prime Minister Modi formed the Ministry of Cooperation in 2021.
He said that the third term of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is a “MOMENT” for all the people associated with the cooperative sector and from here we have to move forward.
Union Minister of Cooperation said that there are two obstacles in the cooperative sector – unequal treatment and absence of a seamless legal framework and the evils that have cropped in during the last 75 years.
He said that if we overcome both these obstacles, then the next 5 years will prove to be a defining moment for the cooperative sector. He said that India’s cooperative sector has the potential to guide the cooperative sectors across the world.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that the cooperative sector can drive the economy of the entire country. He mentioned that providing employment, respect, and prosperity to the country’s 140 crore population can only be achieved through cooperatives.
Shri Shah stated that if state cooperative banks and district cooperative banks do not become sensitive to PACS, then the sensitivity of the Ministry of Cooperation will not achieve the desired results.