Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah chaired the second meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Cooperation in New Delhi on Tuesday, focusing on initiatives to bolster the cooperative sector. The meeting saw participation from Union Ministers of State for Cooperation Krishan Pal and Murlidhar Mohol, committee members, the Secretary of the Ministry of Cooperation, and senior officials.
Addressing the gathering, Shah emphasized the Ministry’s commitment, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, to transform cooperatives into vibrant and successful business entities. He highlighted progress toward the ambitious goal of establishing 2 lakh multipurpose cooperative societies within five years, noting that 35,395 new societies have already been formed. These include 6,182 Multipurpose Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (MPACS), 27,562 dairy cooperatives, and 1,651 fisheries cooperatives.
Shah underscored the cooperative sector’s potential to pave the way for prosperity, particularly for landless and poor communities. He outlined the role of three national-level cooperative societies aimed at enhancing agricultural and farmer welfare. The National Cooperative Organic Limited (NCOL) focuses on certification, branding, packaging, and marketing of organic products to ensure farmers receive fair prices. The National Cooperative Export Limited (NCEL) facilitates the export of farmers’ produce to international markets, ensuring full profits reach the farmers. Additionally, the Bharatiya Beej Sahkari Samiti Limited (BBSSL) works to conserve, store, and produce traditional Indian seeds. Shah announced that the Modi government plans to enter contracts with small farmers for traditional seeds to expand their benefits.
The Union Minister urged committee members to strengthen the dairy sector in their respective states to boost the cooperative movement. He noted that the Ministry has undertaken over 100 initiatives in the past four years to fortify Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), dairy, fisheries, cooperative banks, sugar cooperatives, and governance systems. The National Cooperative Policy-2025 provides a roadmap for sustainable cooperative development, aligning with schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and the National Dairy Development Program (NPDD) to strengthen grassroots-level cooperative ecosystems.
Shah also highlighted the White Revolution 2.0, which aims to increase milk procurement by 50% over the next five years through cooperative-led efforts. The Ministry reported that 15,691 new Dairy Cooperative Societies have been registered, and 11,871 existing societies have been strengthened. Additionally, the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and 25 Milk Unions across 15 states have signed agreements to establish biogas plants in dairy cooperatives.
The Ministry informed the committee about institutional mechanisms like the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC), National Level Coordination Committee (NLCC), State Cooperative Development Committees (SCDC), and District Cooperative Development Committees (DCDC) to ensure effective implementation and monitoring. The Tribhuvan Sahkari University, established through a Parliamentary Act, has been declared an institution of national importance to standardize cooperative education and provide skilled human resources for the sector.