AHMEDABAD: Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched various cooperative initiatives on his whirlwind Navratri tour in Gujarat and asserted that PM Modi has provided GST reduction for farmers as a 'Navratri gift'.
Urging farmers to embrace organic farming, Shah emphasised boosting India’s global share in organic produce while also strengthening the cooperative movement rooted in Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s legacy.
Starting his day in Surat, Shah laid the foundation stone for a grand ISKCON temple, a symbolic gesture marking the Navratri's spiritual significance.
From Surat, Shah flew to Rajkot, where the focus shifted sharply to the rural economy and the cooperative sector. He unveiled statues of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and former cooperative leader Vitthalbhai Radadiya as a tribute to Gujarat’s historic cooperative movement.
The event, attended by leaders of seven cooperative institutions also witnessed Jayesh Radadiya announce an increase in farmers’ accident insurance cover to Rs 15 lakh, a move aimed at providing direct relief to rural families.
Linking past legacies to future reforms, Shah remarked that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given farmers a Navratri gift and a Diwali gift rolled into one as a 'GST reduction' that will directly benefit crores of farmers across the nation.
He highlighted that India’s cooperative structure had been doubled in three years and consistently expanded 12 per cent annually, ensuring that farmers, fishermen, and animal husbandry workers earn more revenue.
Shah urged farmers to switch to organic farming, pushing for a global organic market share led by India. “Reduce the use of chemical fertilizers. Let’s improve the nation’s health while also opening a massive global market for India’s organic products,” he appealed to farmers in Saurashtra.
He also praised the establishment of Bharat Organic, a cooperative that returns profits directly to farmers. Celebrating the Rajkot District Bank, which has bagged multiple awards, Shah credited its success to cooperative leaders and farmers.
“The tradition of Vallabhbhai and Vitthalbhai lives on today through the efforts of Jayeshbhai Radadiya,” he said, asserting that the cooperative movement is the backbone of Gujarat’s agrarian economy.
Shah’s visit positioned the cooperative sector and organic farming at the heart of Gujarat’s rural growth strategy, a mix of Modi’s reforms and Patel’s legacy, stitched together with political finesse.