Union home minister Amit Shah addresses the gathering during the inauguration of over 10,000 newly established Multipurpose Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (M-PACSs), Dairy and Fisheries Cooperatives, at the ICAR Convention Centre, Pusa, in New Delhi.
Amit Shah said these PACS will actively market organic products, dairy production, and seeds, including exports.
Union home and cooperation minister Amit Shah on Wednesday inaugurated 10,000 newly established multipurpose primary agricultural and dairy cooperative societies or PACS, in a bid to ease farmers’ access to markets, part of the government’s plan to create 200,000 such rural enterprises.
These PACS will actively engage in the business of marketing organic products, dairy production and seeds, including exports, Shah said at an event organised at the Pusa complex in the national capital.
The launch of the multipurpose PACS coincided with the birth centenary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. “It was during Atalji’s tenure that the 97th Constitutional Amendment was enacted, highlighting his commitment to revitalizing the long-overlooked cooperative sector,” Shah said.
The 97th amendment gave constitutional status and protection to cooperative societies. Cooperatives are collectives and businesses jointly owned by members who share profits and losses. India’s biggest dairy brand Amul runs on a cooperative model.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after establishing the ministry of cooperation, introduced the motto of ‘Sahkar Se Samriddhi’ (prosperity through cooperatives). Achieving this vision requires the presence of cooperatives in every panchayat, actively contributing in some capacity,” Shah said.
The Modi government will provide micro ATMs and RuPay Kisan Credit Cards to every primary dairy farmer, enabling them to receive bridge finance at a very low cost, Shah added.
The minister said computerisation has increased the transparency of PACS, leading to an expansion of farm cooperatives and employment opportunities for women and youth.
“This modernization has enabled the integration of PACS with 32 diverse activities, including storage, manure, gas, fertilizer, and water distribution, making them more versatile and effective,” Shah said.
Shah further said the establishment of three new national-level cooperatives this year will “unlock new opportunities for farmers by promoting organic products, quality seeds, and exports”.
The minister said so far, cumulatively, 11,695 new primary cooperative societies had been registered under the new model by-laws, marking a “significant milestone”.
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