DEHRADUN: In a major push to bolster its rural economy and modernise grassroots governance, the Uttarakhand government has announced it will send a delegation of 50 secretaries from various cooperative societies to Gujarat. The initiative aims to study successful cooperative frameworks and replicate them to strengthen the state’s internal cooperative structure.
The decision was finalised during a high-level review meeting chaired by State Cooperative Minister Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat at his official residence. During the session, the Minister directed officials to develop a Model Cooperative Village in every district, drawing inspiration from the state’s existing Sanskrit Village concept.
“Priority will be given to secretaries of newly functioning societies for this study tour to Gujarat,” Dr Rawat told The New Indian Express on Monday. “The objective is for them to gain firsthand knowledge of Gujarat’s successful cooperative systems and implement those learnings to empower our local societies.”
The proposed Model Cooperative Villages are envisioned as self-reliant hubs. Each village will be equipped with a Cooperative Bank, a Common Service Centre (CSC), and a Cooperative Market. These markets are intended to provide a robust platform for local women’s self-help groups (SHGs), farmer collectives, and rural artisans to trade their produce directly.
“This initiative is designed to strengthen the rural economy, create sustainable employment opportunities, and develop a cooperative-based self-reliant model,” the Minister added.
To ensure the initiative reaches the grassroots level, Dr Rawat instructed the department to launch a comprehensive publicity campaign. Mirroring the strategy of the Union Ministry of Cooperation, success stories and various schemes will be disseminated via social media in local languages to engage citizens effectively.
Departmental officials have been tasked with preparing a detailed roadmap to bring the Model Cooperative Village plan to fruition. According to the Minister, these villages will serve as the foundation for inclusive development and set a “new benchmark for rural growth” in the Himalayan state in the coming years.