In a significant initiative towards realising Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision of 'Sahkar se Samriddhi' and further strengthening, modernising and making the cooperative movement in the country more inclusive, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah today performed the Bhoomi Pujan for the revival of NHEC (National Heavy Engineering Cooperative) Multi-State Cooperative Society at Talegaon Dabhade in Pune district, Maharashtra. On the occasion, he also virtually inaugurated the Western Regional Office of the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies (CRCS) and launched Bharat Taxi services in Pune. Deputy Chief Ministers of Maharashtra Shri Eknath Shinde and Smt. Sunetra Ajit Pawar, Union Minister of State for Cooperation Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar, Union Minister of State for Cooperation and Civil Aviation Shri Murlidhar Mohol, Maharashtra Minister for Higher and Technical Education and Parliamentary Affairs Shri Chandrakant Patil, Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, and several other dignitaries were present at the event.

In his address, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah paid tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and said that the land of Maharashtra has not only played a significant role in establishing and strengthening the spirit of Swaraj but has also given a new direction to the cooperative movement in the country. He said that Maharashtra, particularly Pune, can rightly be described as the fountainhead of the cooperative movement in western India. Pioneers of the cooperative movement, including Padma Shri Vitthalrao Patil and Vaikunthbhai Mehta, had endeavoured even before Independence to develop a system in which the maximum benefits arising from agriculture and trade would reach farmers.

Shri Amit Shah said that farmers, rural women, milk producers and those associated with the cooperative movement had long been demanding the establishment of a separate Ministry of Cooperation at the Centre. He said that this demand remained unfulfilled during the tenure of previous governments, while the Central Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi established a dedicated Ministry of Cooperation, giving a new direction to the cooperative sector. He said that Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), district-level cooperative institutions and the dairy sector are steadily becoming stronger. The Central Government has undertaken several significant measures, including providing relief of approximately Rs. 15,000 crore to cooperative sugar mills and extending income tax relief of approximately Rs. 3,000 crore annually.

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that a major manufacturing facility producing machinery and equipment for sugar mills once operated on the very land where today's programme was being held. The factory had ceased operations during the tenure of a previous government. He said that the reconstruction of the same industrial complex is now being initiated, marking an occasion of pride and satisfaction for the cooperative sector.

Shri Amit Shah extended his greetings to the people of the country, particularly mothers and sisters, on the occasion of Chhath Mahaparv. Paying tribute to Bhagwan Birsa Munda on his 151st birth anniversary, he said that Bhagwan Birsa Munda had ignited the spirit of resistance against colonial rule from the land of Jharkhand even before the wider freedom movement gathered momentum. He said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi decided to commemorate the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas. Shri Shah also referred to the progress made towards eliminating Naxalism in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, and the programme held there. Paying homage to Acharya Vinoba Bhave, he said that Vinoba Ji dedicated his life to cow welfare, Sarvodaya, the Bhoodan Movement and strengthening Indian languages through the Devanagari script. He recalled that Vinoba Bhave, a devoted follower of Mahatma Gandhi, spent a significant part of his life in Wardha, Maharashtra.

Referring to the inauguration of the Western Regional Office of the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies (CRCS), the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that a large number of Multi-State Cooperative Societies operate across the western region, including Maharashtra and Gujarat. He said that there had been demands from different regions for the establishment of this office, which has now been set up in Pune. Shri Shah informed that the office would undertake regulatory functions relating to Multi-State Cooperative Societies in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu.

Referring to the launch of Bharat Taxi services in Pune, Shri Amit Shah said that cooperative-based Bharat Taxi services would be expanded across the country. He said that for many years, drivers associated with several taxi companies had to surrender a portion of their earnings as commission and, in many instances, faced exploitation. The concept of Bharat Taxi, based on the cooperative model, was developed to address this situation. He said that through Bharat Taxi, the Sarathi brothers and sisters, who were earlier recognised merely as drivers, are now becoming owners of their own company. The system ensures complete transparency, with the entire earnings of Sarathis being credited directly to their bank accounts without any commission deductions. He said that Bharat Taxi services should also be introduced in Nagpur, Nashik, Kolhapur and Solapur after Pune.

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, referring to the Bhoomi Pujan of NHEC (National Heavy Engineering Cooperative), said that the institution had previously operated from the same location and supplied sugar mills and centrifugal machinery across the world. He said that over time, the industrial unit ceased operations, and its approximately 110 acres of land increasingly faced the threat of illegal encroachment. The Ministry of Cooperation initiated efforts to revive this important cooperative industrial asset and began the process of its restoration with the support of institutions such as the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), Amul, IPL, IFFCO and the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC).

Shri Amit Shah said that the manufacturing facility to be established at NHEC would not be limited to producing sugar mills. It would also manufacture power generation plants for sugar mills, Compressed Biogas (CBG) plants and various types of industrial equipment and plants related to the dairy sector. In addition, the facility would undertake container manufacturing for export to overseas markets. He said that the earnings generated from these industrial activities would accrue to cooperative institutions, thereby further strengthening the cooperative-based economic ecosystem.

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that there was a time when sugar mills manufactured by NHEC were exported to 11 countries, including Zambia, Ethiopia and Vietnam. The manufacturing facility had such a strong order book and demand that the delivery of new orders could take approximately four years. He said that these industrial operations subsequently came to a halt, but the Central Government has now decided to revive this important cooperative institution.

Shri Amit Shah informed that, as part of the revival process of NHEC, the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) initially took over the management of the institution as its administrator. Subsequently, all audits that had remained pending for the previous two years were completed. Institutions including Amul, NDDB, NCDC, IFFCO, NABARD and IPL contributed towards mobilising the investment required for the revival of the institution. Its Board of Directors was reconstituted, and at its first meeting held on 9 October 2026, a resolution was taken to rebuild the institution. The Bhoomi Pujan of the project was performed today as part of this process.

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that a plan has been prepared to reschedule all liabilities and loans of NHEC and settle them in a transparent manner. He expressed confidence that production would commence at the facility before December 2027 and manufacturing of sugar mills would resume. He said that a circular economy would also be developed in the sugar and dairy sectors, creating additional income opportunities for farmers through the productive utilisation of resources such as cattle dung. Similarly, efforts would be made to reduce dependence on imports by increasing the utilisation of various by-products generated by sugar mills. He further informed that the second phase of the project envisages manufacturing containers for the railways, defence sector and exports.

Shri Amit Shah expressed confidence that, like successful cooperative institutions such as Amul, IFFCO and KRIBHCO, NHEC would also emerge as an important example for the cooperative movement in the country in the coming years. He congratulated all the institutions associated with the revival of NHEC and the farmers of Maharashtra on this initiative.

In his address, the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation also referred to the country's democratic system and the role of political parties, observing that the principal opposition party has faced successive electoral defeats in recent years. Referring to 'Bharat Summit 2026' held in Hyderabad, he said that the remarks made by the Leader of the Opposition at the international conference concerning India's development journey, democratic system and national leadership were inappropriate. Shri Shah said that the electoral success or failure of political parties depends on their leadership, performance and the confidence reposed in them by the people.

Shri Amit Shah referred to the tenure of the previous government and said that several allegations and controversies relating to corruption had emerged during that period, whereas development across various sectors has gained momentum over the past 12 years under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. He highlighted achievements in agriculture, industrial development, India's historic accomplishment of reaching the Moon's south polar region, expansion of the startup ecosystem, modernisation of the railways, increase in the number of airports to approximately 150, expansion of the metro network, introduction of the National Education Policy and establishment of a separate Ministry of Cooperation.

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation advised the Leader of the Opposition that engaging with people in India's villages and understanding their concerns was more important than criticising the country on international platforms. He said that, in a democracy, the path to political power lies in reaching out to the people and earning their trust. Shri Shah said that all political parties, whether in government or in opposition, have a responsibility to safeguard the country's reputation, democratic institutions and national interests on international platforms. He also urged workers of the opposition party to reflect on the approach and political direction of their leadership, adding that the people of the country express their verdict through the democratic process.

Concluding his address, Shri Amit Shah said that a new beginning has been made in the cooperative sector today. Industrial production activities will resume at the approximately 110-acre complex that had remained closed for years. He extended his best wishes to cooperative sector workers and farmers across the country and expressed confidence that the revival of NHEC would give a new direction to cooperative-led industrial development in India.

During the programme, a Letter of Intent (LoI) was exchanged between NHEC and IDMC Limited, and share certificates were presented to Bharat Taxi Sarathis.

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