Union home and cooperation minister Amit Shah today said that the document will provide an enabling framework in line with co-operative principles to realise the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Sahakar se Samriddhi’, strengthening cooperative movement in the country, and promoting cooperative-based economic development model.
Union home and cooperation minister Amit Shah on Tuesday announced the constitution of a national level committee for drafting of the national cooperation policy document. The new national cooperative policy is being formulated to realize Prime Minister Modi’s vision of ‘Sahakar Se Samriddhi’.
The national level committee under the chairmanship of former union cabinet minister Suresh Prabhu, consists of 47 members from across the country. The committee comprises experts of the cooperative sector; representatives of national, state and district primary cooperative societies and government officials.
The existing national policy on cooperatives was formulated in 2002. The idea was that cooperatives work as autonomous, self-reliant and democratically managed institutions accountable to their members while making significant contributions to the national economy. India has around 8.5 lakh co-operative societies with a member base of around 29 crores, spread across the length and breadth of the country. These co-operatives are engaged in varied activities like agro-processing, dairying, fisheries, housing, weaving, credit, marketing, to name a few.
The new national cooperation policy document is being formulated with a view to fulfilling the mandate given to the new ministry of cooperation strengthen the cooperative movement in the country and deepen its reach to the grassroots.
It will also promote a cooperative-based economic development model, creating the legal and institutional framework to help cooperatives realise their potential.
