Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, inaugurated 10,000 newly established Multipurpose Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (MPACS), along with Dairy and Fisheries Cooperative Societies, in New Delhi. The event witnessed the presence of several dignitaries, including Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh, alias Lalan Singh, Union Ministers of State for Cooperation Shri Krishan Pal and Shri Murlidhar Mohol, as well as the Secretary of the Ministry of Cooperation.
Shri Amit Shah began his address by paying homage to two eminent figures—Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya and former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee—on their birth anniversaries. He lauded Pandit Malviya as a leading figure in India's freedom struggle who dedicated his life to promoting the nation's independence, culture, and Indianness, as well as upholding the values of Hinduism. Speaking about Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Shri Shah highlighted his remarkable contribution as the voice of India and its culture in Parliament for over five decades. He credited Atal Ji's visionary leadership as Prime Minister, which laid the foundation for India's rise, including the establishment of nuclear power capabilities and steadfast leadership during the Kargil War. Shri Shah also noted Atal Ji's transformative initiatives, such as the creation of a separate ministry for tribal affairs, the development of the ‘Golden Quadrilateral’ highways, and the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to connect villages with state highways. Shri Shah further observed that the day also marks the death anniversary of Shri C. Rajagopalachari, a revered freedom fighter and scholar of Vedic and ancient Indian literature. He praised Rajagopalachari’s significant contributions to the drafting of India’s Constitution and his enduring legacy in the nation’s history.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation announced the launch of 10,000 new Multipurpose Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (MPACS), along with Dairy and Fisheries Cooperative Societies, coinciding with the birth centenary of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He emphasized that this milestone is deeply symbolic, as it was during Atal Ji's tenure that the 97th Constitutional Amendment was enacted, highlighting his commitment to revitalizing the long-overlooked cooperative sector.
Shri Amit Shah highlighted that on September 19, 2024, an SOP was established, and within just 86 days, the registration of 10,000 PACS was successfully completed. He noted that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, upon establishing the Ministry of Cooperation, introduced the motto ‘Sahkar Se Samriddhi’ (Prosperity through Cooperation). Shri Shah emphasized that achieving this vision requires the presence of cooperatives in every Panchayat, actively contributing in some capacity. He explained that primary cooperative societies are the foundation of India’s three-tier cooperative structure, which is why the Modi government has set an ambitious target to establish 2 lakh new PACS.
Union Minister of Cooperation shared that the Modi government has set an ambitious target of establishing 2 lakh new PACS within the next five years and expressed confidence that this goal will be achieved ahead of schedule. He detailed the phased approach for this initiative, with NABARD forming 22,750 PACS in the first phase and 47,250 in the second. Similarly, NDDB will establish 56,500 new societies while strengthening 46,500 existing ones, and NFDB will create 6,000 new fisheries cooperative societies while empowering 5,500 existing ones. Additionally, state cooperative departments will contribute by forming 25,000 PACS. Shri Shah highlighted that, to date, 11,695 new primary cooperative societies have been registered under the new model bylaws, marking a significant milestone. He emphasized that once the target of 2 lakh PACS is achieved, it will greatly facilitate the seamless integration of farmers' produce into global markets through robust forward and backward linkages.