Union Home Minister Amit Shah assumed his role as the Minister of Cooperation on Tuesday, pledging to strengthen the cooperative sector by effectively implementing grass root-level policies.
Krishan Pal, MP from Haryana’s Faridabad, and Murlidhar Mohol, MP from Pune, have been appointed as his two deputies.
Shah, a two-time MP from Gandhinagar, Gujarat, has held the cooperation portfolio since July 2021, when the ministry was first established.
“We laid the groundwork for the development of the cooperative sector in our previous term. In the next five years, our focus will be on ensuring these policies reach the grassroots,” Shah emphasized, reaffirming his dedication to the sector’s advancement.
The ministry is set to implement a 100-day development plan for the cooperative sector, Shah announced.
During his first term as Union Cooperation Minister in the Modi government, he was instrumental in shaping key cooperative policies, such as amendments to the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, Model Bylaws for Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), and the formation of three multi-state cooperatives for promoting exports, seeds, and organic products.
His other significant initiatives include plans to establish 2 lakh new Multipurpose PACS, Dairy, and Fisheries Cooperative Societies in panchayats and villages that currently lack coverage over the next five years. He also launched the world’s largest decentralized grain storage program in the cooperative sector. Other initiatives included formation of new National Cooperation Policy, National Cooperative University, National Cooperative Database, strengthen cooperative sugar mills, onboarding cooperative societies as buyers on the GeM Portal etc.
While outlining the ministry’s key priorities, Shah reiterated, “We have completed the policy-level work, now, our focus will be on implementation at the grassroots level,”.
Known for his meticulous approach, Shah’s first term was characterized by proactive decision-making and a commitment to realizing the vision of “Sahkar se Samriddhi” (Prosperity through Cooperatives), thus fortifying the cooperative movement in the country.
Expressing his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah stated that the Ministry of Cooperation remains dedicated to empowering farmers and villages in line with the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Sahkar Se Samriddhi’.
He further mentioned, “Our government is committed to empowering the idea of cooperation, providing new opportunities to millions of people associated with this sector, and bringing positive changes to their lives”.
Indian cooperative leaders firmly believe that with Amit Shah’s continued leadership as Cooperation Minister, he will accelerate the sector’s development by leveraging his organizational skills and personal influence.
