Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, will dedicate more than 10,000 newly established Multipurpose Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (M-PACSs), Dairy and Fisheries Cooperatives to the nation on Wednesday, December 25, at the ICAR Convention Centre, Pusa, New Delhi, during a national conference of Cooperatives. Shri Amit Shah will distribute registration certificates, RuPay Kisan Credit Cards (KCC), and micro ATMs to the newly formed cooperative societies. These financial tools are designed to provide easy access to credit services in panchayats and promote financial inclusion, enabling the rural population to benefit from various schemes and participate in the nation's economic progress. The event will be attended by the Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, and Panchayati Raj, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, along with several senior officials and dignitaries.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the guidance of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah, the Ministry of Cooperation is committed to ensuring the establishment of cooperative societies in every panchayat to create opportunities for local development and self-reliance.

The formation of new M-PACS will promote the growth of cooperative institutions in rural areas. The newly established multipurpose PACS include credit societies, dairy cooperatives, and fisheries cooperatives.

Union Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah has emphasized the importance of empowering local communities, especially women-led panchayats, through cooperative societies. The newly established M-PACS are expected to play a crucial role in promoting self-reliance and economic empowerment in rural areas.

These societies will not only provide financial services but also serve as a platform for rural communities to come together and work collaboratively.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah recently stated during his visit to Tripura that significant emphasis is being placed on strengthening cooperative institutions across the country, including the Northeast. Shri Shah believes that the cooperative sector is the backbone of India’s rural economy and serves as a key driver for financial inclusion, the development of rural agriculture and cottage industries, employment generation, and the empowerment of women and society at large.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the guidance of Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah, the Ministry of Cooperation was established in July 2021. This marked a significant step towards revitalizing the foundational institution of the cooperative sector, the Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS).

To provide economic support to PACS, new model bye-laws have been introduced, and their activities have been expanded to ensure their viability and sustainability.

To realize Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision of "Sehkar Se Samriddhi”, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah has set a goal to establish a cooperative institution in every panchayat across the country within the next five years.

To achieve this, a ‘Margdarshika’ for the formation of Multipurpose PACS (M-PACS) was issued in September 2024. This Margdarshika is designed to ensure the effective functioning of the two lakh new M-PACS that are to be established nationwide.

So far, out of the 10,496 newly created Multipurpose PACS, dairy, and fisheries cooperatives, 3,523 M-PACS and 6,288 dairy cooperatives have been registered. Additionally, 685 new fisheries cooperatives have also been registered.

The national conference will witness the participation of around 1,200 delegates from across the country, including representatives from M-PACS, dairy, and fisheries cooperatives. Among them will be 400 representatives from M-PACS, 700 from cooperative dairies, and 100 from fisheries cooperatives, along with officials from state governments, the Ministry of Cooperation, and various related organizations.

The conference will serve as a platform to discuss strategies for enhancing the operational capabilities of the newly formed cooperative societies. Additionally, it will also deliberate on the opportunity to stabilize the livelihoods of farmers and rural communities, provide them additional sources of income and promote sustainable agricultural practices.

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