New Cooperative Policy In The Works; Idea Is To Help All States, Says Amit Shah

New Delhi: The Central government will introduce a national cooperative policy during 2021-22.

The NDA government-introduced National Policy on Cooperatives has been in operation since March 2002.

“This is the 75th year of India’s independence… therefore, as a part of the Amrut Mahotsava, we will begin drafting the new cooperative policy,” Union Minister for Home Affairs and Cooperation Amit Shah said on Saturday while unveiling the roadmap of newly-created Ministry of Cooperation.

Shah was addressing the ‘National Cooperative Conference’, the biggest event since formation of the ministry in on July 6.

Outlining the new cooperative policy, Shah said the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, 2002 will be amended to facilitate the functioning of multi-state cooperative societies.

He also stressed that 63,000 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) are not sufficient to cater to the needs of 6 lakh villages.

“We will set a target to establish a PACS in every second village in the coming five years. To increase the number of PACS from 65,000 to 3 lakh, the Ministry of Cooperation will prepare a proper legal framework that will be advisory in nature. We will send it to the state governments. States can make changes in their laws.”

Addressing apprehensions of some states about the creation of Ministry of Cooperation, Shah stated that the idea is to cooperate with all states.

“Many people say that this is a state subject. I don’t want to get into the Centre-state fight, a legal answer can be given easily. I only want to say that the Ministry of Cooperation, formed under the leadership of Modi ji, is not to fight with anyone but to cooperate with all the states. Therefore, there is no need to think whether it is a state subject or a central subject. We can help everyone; we will also help the states. We will take everyone along and take the movement forward,” he said.

The conference was organized by various cooperative organisations, including Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO), National Cooperative Federation of India, Amul, Sahakar Bharti, NAFED and KRIBHCO.