Cooperative Profits Must Benefit Farmers, Not Capitalists: Amit Shah

• Cooperative sector thriving under PM Modi’s leadership, benefiting millions of farmers nationwide.
• Rajkot District Cooperative Bank recognized for consistent performance and farmer-centric initiatives.
• Over 60 initiatives launched in last three years to strengthen cooperatives, including computerization and warehouses.
• New cooperative bodies like Bharat Organic set up to ensure full profits reach farmers.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 22nd Sept: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah addressed the annual meeting of seven district-level cooperative societies, including Rajkot District Cooperative Bank Limited, in Rajkot, Gujarat today. Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Mansukh Mandaviya and other dignitaries were present.

Shah recalled that the cooperative sector long demanded a separate ministry, fulfilled in 2021 with the establishment of the Ministry of Cooperation by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. He said this allowed millions of farmers, livestock farmers, and fishermen across India to receive their profits directly in bank accounts.

He hailed Rajkot’s cooperative sector as a model for Gujarat and the nation. Highlighting achievements, Shah noted the Rajkot District Cooperative Bank received NABARD’s Best Performance Award five times and the Overall Best Performance Award four times. For 53 consecutive years, the bank has maintained less than 1% net NPA, earned profits worth hundreds of crores, and provided loans at low interest rates.

Shah emphasized that cooperatives exist for farmers’ welfare, not capitalists’ profit. He mentioned that statues of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Vitthalbhai Radadiya were unveiled during the event, commemorating their contributions to the cooperative movement.

Under PM Modi’s leadership, more than 60 initiatives have strengthened the cooperative sector in the last three years, including PACS computerization, warehouse construction, dairy cooperatives, and water conservation projects, resulting in a 12% growth rate. A unified system for cooperative loans, already implemented in Banaskantha and Panchmahal, is being rolled out across Gujarat.

Shah launched several new cooperative bodies, including Bharat Organic, to ensure farmers receive full profits from organic produce. He urged farmers in Saurashtra and beyond to reduce chemical fertilizers, adopt organic farming, and expand India’s share in the global organic market.

On the occasion of Navratri, Shah highlighted GST reforms as a gift to the public, reducing rates from 18% to 5% on items used by farmers, food products, automobiles, and daily essentials. He praised the cooperative sector’s progress under the Modi government, stressing its central role in farmer welfare and India’s economic growth.