NEW DELHI: Emphasising the need for global partnership to expand further, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asked cooperative organisations to go in a big way to produce organic products with a focus on the export market.
Chairing a high-level review meeting to assess the progress made in the cooperative sector here at his official residence, PM Modi discussed various aspects for promoting “Sahkar Se Samruddhi” to bring in transformation through technological advancements, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in an official statement.
Discussions also took place around plans to increase the participation of youth and women in cooperatives and the various initiatives of the Ministry of Cooperation, it added.
The Prime Minister suggested focusing on export markets and developing a soil testing model through cooperatives to improve agricultural practices, while highlighting the importance of integrating UPI with RuPay KCC cards to facilitate financial transactions.
Asking for healthy competition among cooperative organizations, PM Modi also emphasised the importance of documenting the assets of such groupings to ensure transparency, adding that the PM suggested promoting cooperative farming as a more sustainable agricultural model.
“He recommended the use of digital public infrastructure (Agristack) to expand agriculture and related activities in Cooperative Sector, providing farmers with better access to services. In the context of education, he proposed introducing cooperative courses in schools, colleges, and IIMs, as well as promoting successful cooperative organizations to inspire future generations,” the statement read.
PM Modi went on to add that young graduates should be encouraged to contribute, and cooperative organisations should be ranked based on their performance to promote competition and growth simultaneously.
During the meeting, the PM was briefed about the National Cooperation Policy and key achievements of the Ministry of Cooperation over the past three and a half years.
Among the 60 initiatives undertaken by the Ministry since its inception, prominent ones are the digitisation of cooperative institutions through the National Cooperative Database and Computerization Projects, as well as the strengthening of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS). Additionally, the Ministry has focused on enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of cooperative sugar mills.