(MENAFN- KNN India)
New Delhi, Dec 26 (KNN) In a significant move to empower India's farming community, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah inaugurated 10,000 newly established Multipurpose Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (M-PACS) on Wednesday.
This initiative is part of the government's ambitious plan to establish 200,000 such societies, aiming to enhance farmers' access to markets and improve their livelihoods.
The event, held at the ICAR convention Centre in New Delhi, was marked by Shah's emphasis on the role of these PACS in advancing India's agricultural sector.
He announced that the new cooperatives would focus on marketing organic products, dairy production, and seeds, including export opportunities.
This step is expected to create new revenue streams for farmers while strengthening India's position in the global agricultural market.
The launch of these cooperatives coincides with the birth centenary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who played a pivotal role in shaping India's cooperative sector.
Shah highlighted Vajpayee's contribution, particularly the enactment of the 97th Constitutional Amendment, which granted constitutional protection to cooperatives.
Shah further reiterated that the Modi government's vision of "Sahkar Se Samriddhi" (prosperity through cooperatives) could only be achieved with cooperatives present in every village. To support this, micro ATMs and RuPay Kisan Credit Cards will be provided to dairy farmers, ensuring access to low-cost finance.
The modernization of PACS through computerisation has improved transparency and expanded the scope of their activities, now covering storage, manure distribution, fertiliser, and more.
Shah also highlighted the growing employment opportunities for women and youth in these cooperatives.
In addition, three new national-level cooperatives are set to be established this year, focusing on organic products, quality seeds, and export markets.
With a total of 11,695 new primary cooperative societies registered under the new by-laws, this initiative marks a critical milestone in the government's efforts to revitalise the cooperative sector and uplift farmers across India.
(KNN Bureau)
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