Amit Shah to chair meeting of state cooperation ministers on reforms, rural economy

India’s Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah will chair a high-level meeting of cooperation ministers from states and Union Territories on Feb. 17 in Gandhinagar, as the government pushes legal, institutional and technological reforms to strengthen the cooperative sector and boost the rural economy.

The “Manthan” meeting, to be held at Mahatma Mandir, will bring together cooperation ministers from all states and Union Territories, along with senior officials at the level of additional chief secretary, principal secretary and secretary, the Ministry of Cooperation said on Monday.

The discussions will review progress on key initiatives and chart a coordinated roadmap for the cooperative sector, which the government sees as central to its “Sahkar se Samriddhi” (prosperity through cooperation) vision championed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Officials said the agenda will include the rollout of 200,000 new multi-purpose primary agricultural credit societies (PACS), dairy cooperatives and fisheries cooperatives to inject new momentum into the rural economy. The meeting will also assess progress on expanding a nationwide network of modern warehouses under the government’s grain storage plan, aimed at improving storage, stabilising prices and enhancing farmers’ access to markets.

State participation in newly created national-level cooperative institutions will be another focus, including the National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL), National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL) and Bharatiya Beej Sahkari Samiti Limited (BBSSL), which are intended to strengthen cooperatives in exports, organic farming and quality seed supply.

Other issues on the agenda include time-bound reforms in state cooperative laws and adoption of model legislation in line with the 97th Constitutional Amendment; measures to improve the economic viability of cooperative sugar mills; and steps to promote sustainability and circularity in the dairy sector. Discussions will also cover the formation of new dairy cooperative societies in collaboration with Amul and the National Dairy Development Board.

Officials said the meeting will take up the promotion of pulses and maize production, challenges faced by cooperative banks, strengthening of shared service entities and umbrella structures, expansion of cooperative membership, and awareness campaigns backed by a more effective media and communication strategy.

States’ expectations related to the computerisation of PACS and registrar of cooperative societies (RCS) offices, use of the National Cooperative Database, human resource development and training, and improved implementation of schemes of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) will also be discussed.

The government said the Manthan meeting is expected to reinforce cooperative federalism and deepen coordination between the Centre and states, positioning cooperatives as a key driver of prosperity, employment generation and self-reliance at the grassroots level.