Shri Amit Shah Lauds Cooperative Sector’s Role in Empowering Farmers

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, delivered an inspiring address at the annual gathering of seven district-level cooperative societies, including Rajkot District Cooperative Bank Limited, in Rajkot today. The occasion was attended by Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Mansukh Mandaviya, alongside several distinguished guests and officials.

Shri Shah reflected on the long-standing aspirations of the cooperative community since India’s independence, where advocates had pushed for a dedicated central ministry. He noted that prior to 2021, the expansive cooperative framework was overseen by a single Joint Secretary under the Agriculture Ministry. However, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s decisive action in establishing a separate Ministry of Cooperation in 2021 has revolutionized the landscape. This move, he explained, has enabled millions of farmers, dairy producers, and fishermen—from the northern reaches of Kashmir to the southern tip of Kanyakumari, and from the western shores of Dwarka to the eastern hills of Kamakhya—to receive direct transfers of their earnings into personal bank accounts, bypassing intermediaries.

Highlighting Rajkot’s cooperative model as a national benchmark, Shri Shah called for its expansion, advocating for the creation of milk unions, service cooperatives, and storage-equipped societies in every village. He commemorated the unveiling of statues honoring Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Vitthalbhai Radadiya, crediting Patel for championing farmers’ rights in Rajkot and nationwide, founding the local cooperative bank, and scaling it up. Vitthalbhai, he added, elevated the institution to NABARD award-winning status through dedicated service. During the event, 22 individuals received accident insurance payouts, and nine cooperative societies were honored with motorcycles and cash under the bank’s Krishi Samaj Awards.

Shri Shah emphasized that genuine cooperatives channel profits back to farmers rather than capitalists. He praised the Rajkot District Cooperative Bank for earning NABARD’s Best Performance Award five times and Overall Excellence four times, attributing this to farmers’ diligence and strong leadership. Remarkably, the bank has maintained a net NPA below 1% for 53 years, generated hundreds of crores in profits, and offered loans at rates even lower than zero percent interest, sustaining a resilient framework.

Under PM Modi’s guidance, Shri Shah announced the establishment of Tribhuvan Sahkari University in Anand, Gujarat—a premier national institution focused on cooperative disciplines. Over the past three years, more than 60 initiatives have revitalized the sector, including PACS computerization, warehouse construction, water management projects, and dairy enhancements. These efforts halted four decades of decline, stabilizing the system in the first year and achieving a 12% growth in the subsequent two.

Today, Shri Shah observed, fresh cooperative entities, dairy alliances, and milk-processing units are sprouting across the nation, enabling a nationwide computerized network to deliver profits directly to farmers. In Gujarat, a policy mandates that cooperatives draw loans solely from district and state banks, a model already thriving in Banaskantha and Panchmahal, now extending statewide.

Several innovative measures have been introduced, Shri Shah noted, such as ‘Bharat Organic’—a cooperative procuring organic produce from farmers, marketing it, and redistributing all earnings to growers. New entities for exports and seeds further bolster the ecosystem. Guided by PM Modi, the cooperative movement is advancing at an extraordinary pace.

Shri Shah encouraged farmers to minimize chemical fertilizers and pesticides, embracing organic methods to safeguard public health and maximize earnings. The Government of India, he added, offers substantial incentives for organic practitioners. He urged Saurashtra’s farmers to adopt this approach, expanding India’s footprint in the international organic market.

On the joyous festival of Navratri, Shri Shah conveyed warm wishes for Maa Shakti worship, revealing PM Modi’s special Diwali gift: slashing GST from 18% to 5% on farmer essentials, food items, automobiles, and everyday goods—a boon for Gujarat and the nation.