'10,000 Established In Three Months': Amit Shah Promises 2 Lakh Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies Within Five Years

On Wednesday (25 December), Amit Shah, the Union Cooperation Minister, launched 10,000 new multi-purpose Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS). He stated that the government is on a mission to establish 2 lakh of these societies within the coming five years.

"The prosperity through cooperation cannot be achieved unless cooperatives function effectively at the panchayat level. The government is working to ensure prosperity at panchayats," Shah was quoted as saying by The New Indian Express at the launch event.

The Home Ministry has set a target of setting up 2 lakh PACS in five years. "I want to tell you that we will establish 2 lakh PACS before five years get completed. In three months, we established 10,000 new PACS," Shah said optimistically.

He announced the inauguration of 10,000 new MPACS on the 100th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He further emphasised the significance of this event by noting that the 97th Constitutional Amendment, which underscored Vajpayee's dedication to rejuvenating the often neglected cooperative sector, was enacted during his term.

Shah revealed that a standard operating procedure (SOP) was established on 19 September, and the registration of 10,000 PACS was completed within a mere 86 days. He highlighted the effective implementation of PM Narendra Modi's principle of "sahkar se samridhi" (prosperity through cooperation), which led to the creation of the Ministry of Cooperation.

"The primary cooperative societies are the foundation of India’s three-tier cooperative structure, which is why the Modi government has set an ambitious target to establish 2 lakh new PACS," the Home Minister said.

The initiative is set to unfold in two stages. The first stage will see NABARD setting up 32,750 new multipurpose PACS. The second stage will involve NDDB establishing 56,500 dairy cooperatives and NFDB setting up 6,000 fishery cooperatives.

Shah emphasised the significance of digitalisation within the cooperative sector, pointing out that the government has modernised existing PACS and incorporated them into 32 distinct initiatives.

He asserted that cooperatives would be unable to function without skilled personnel, and encouraged societies to take advantage of the newly introduced training module.