Jaipur, Oct 2 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Thursday launched the Cooperative Membership Campaign, stating that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, the nation is scripting a new chapter of prosperity through cooperation.
He said that the state government is committed to giving a new dimension to Rajasthan’s development by strengthening cooperatives, with special focus on the participation of women and youth. The campaign will run across the state from October 2 to October 15.
Addressing the programme at the Constitution Club, Sharma said that camps are being organised at around 8,300 PACS levels, along with five departmental activities. A target has been set to increase the number of cooperative societies by 10 per cent.
He announced that new PACS will be established in 2,158 gram panchayats where none exist, and land will be allotted to village service cooperative societies lacking space for warehouses.
To encourage women, efforts will be made to integrate pulses, spices, and other crops into cooperatives.
Highlighting the role of cooperatives, the Chief Minister said they provide social and cultural strength while ensuring economic security for the poor and middle class.
He noted that short-term, interest-free crop loans worth Rs 42,765 crore have been distributed to over 7.7 million farmers, in addition to loans of Rs 433 crore to 248,000 new farmers and livelihood loans of Rs 260 crore to more than 30,000 beneficiaries.
Under the Food Storage Scheme, warehouses, processing units, and custom hiring centres have been established at the Ghumudwali PACS in Sri Ganganagar, while cooperative banks have distributed long-term loans worth Rs 246 crore to nearly 7,000 farmers and small entrepreneurs.
Sharma praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for establishing the Ministry of Cooperation in July 2021, making cooperatives a central pillar of development.
He said that over 7.6 million farmers in Rajasthan have benefited from the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, receiving more than Rs 7,054 crore.
The state government, under the Chief Minister’s Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, is additionally providing Rs 3,000 annually to farmers, with over Rs 1,355 crore disbursed so far.
The Chief Minister underlined Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah’s efforts in transforming the cooperative sector.
In the last four years, more than 100 initiatives have been launched to strengthen PACS, dairy, fisheries, sugar cooperatives, and banks, while PACS are being computerised through a national software network.
Plans are underway to set up over two lakh multipurpose PACS, dairy, and fisheries cooperatives in every village within five years, alongside the construction of warehouses and storage centres under the world’s largest decentralised grain storage scheme.
Emphasising animal husbandry as the foundation of farmers’ prosperity, Sharma said the Gopal Credit Card Loan Scheme is providing interest-free loans of up to Rs 1 lakh for dairy activities, while mobile veterinary units have been deployed for livestock care.
He added that initiatives like the Ram Jal Setu Link Project, the Yamuna Water Agreement, and the expansion of the Dewas Project are transforming irrigation and drinking water availability.
The government has also issued appointment letters to 91,000 youth, working towards its target of 4 lakh government jobs in five years. Animal Husbandry and Dairy Minister Joraram Kumawat also addressed the event, saying that the essence of cooperation lies in the spirit of “one for all, all for one.”
He said the campaign will enrol more members in the dairy sector than the set target, with special focus on women’s participation. He further highlighted that the Chief Minister has allocated more than Rs 700 crore in the state budget to strengthen the dairy sector.
–IANS
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