‘Gujarat’s co-operative system is a role model for the country’: Amit Shah

AHMEDABAD: Union Co-operation minister Amit Shah on Sunday said Gujarat’s cooperative system is a role model for the country, with co-operative sugar mills being the best in the country.

The cooperative sector has made an invaluable contribution in providing equal development opportunities to the poor, farmers, women, and youth of the country. The cooperative sector will be at the forefront of fulfilling the Prime Minister’s dream of a self-reliant India and doubling the income of farmers, he claimed.

He was addressing a conference on ‘Sahakar Se Samrudhi’ (‘Prosperity through Co-operation’) at Bajipura in Tapi district Gujarat.

In the Bajipura, Surat District Co-operative Milk Producers Union Ltd.-Sumul Dairy organized a ‘Prosperity from Co-operation’ under the chairmanship of Shah.

Under the ‘Sahi Poshan, Desh Roshan’ campaign, in collaboration with the State Government and Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Amit shah inaugurated various projects.

Amit Shah further said that the seeds of village upliftment were sown by co-operative leaders including Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Tribhuvandas Patel,  Bhaikaka, Vaikunth Mehta, was turned into a huge tree today.

Appreciating the co-operative structure of South Gujarat, the paradise of co-operative activities, he said that the journey of Sumul Dairy, which started with a capacity of  275 liters of milk, today has reached 2.5 lakh members of 1200 milk societies, whose accounts are paid Rs. 7 crores daily. This arrangement has been a blessing in disguise for raising the living standards of thousands of families.

Stating that co-operatives have made a significant contribution to the development of the country, he cited the example of Amul Dairy and expressed happiness that today Amul has reached a record turnover target of Rs 53,000 crore. He lauded the efforts of Sumul Dairy’s pastoralists for economic upliftment, saying that millions of farmers and pastoralists would work together for prosperity and realize the dream of a self-reliant India.

While the Prime Minister has set a target of five trillion US dollars for the economy, the cooperative sector will also make a valuable contribution in fulfilling the target following the mantra of ‘Sahakar Se Samrudhi’ given to the country by the prime minister.

Under the auspices of Amul Dairy, arrangements will be made to provide affordable prices to the farmers engaged in natural farming and to find a suitable market. Shah also said that the goal has been set by this mechanism for Indians to become partners in building a ‘Healthy India, Prosperous India’ by consuming chemical-free agricultural products in a single year.

Shah further claimed that Modi has provided an excellent example of people-oriented administration by resolving the issue of income tax liability of co-operative sugar mills which has been pending for over 40 years. He expressed confidence that the cooperative movement would ensure the progress of rural India, adding that the government would directly deposit Rs 6,000 per farmer in the bank accounts of 15 crore farmers of the country for their prosperous life to take care of the farmers.

He further said that the Ministry of Co-operation has been set up at the grassroots level to take the roots of the cooperative movement deep and bring the fruits of development to the villages. The Ministry of Co-operation has been working with this concept at a time when co-operation is the way to move towards inclusive development.