Union Minister of State for Cooperation and Civil Aviation Shri Murlidhar Mohol inaugurated the new Head Office of Shri Beereshwar Co-operative Credit Society Limited in Belagavi, Karnataka, marking the institution's 36th Foundation Day. The credit society operates as a Multi-State cooperative with approximately 4.60 lakh members, 263 branches across the country, and a business volume exceeding Rs 9,000 crore.
Minister Mohol highlighted the transformative developments in India's cooperative sector under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Sahkar se Samriddhi' and the leadership of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah. The cooperative sector now comprises over 8.5 lakh cooperative societies and institutions with approximately 32 crore members, representing nearly half of India's population through 20-25 crore connected families.
Under Minister Shah's leadership, more than 160 important decisions have been taken to strengthen the cooperative movement. Significant initiatives include computerization of nearly 80,000 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) with work worth approximately Rs 3,000 crore, and linking village-level cooperative institutions with more than 25 types of business activities to expand their economic scope and income sources.
Three national-level Multi-State Cooperative Societies have been established, with nearly 70,000 cooperative institutions joining as members to create a comprehensive cooperative ecosystem for farmers. For Urban Cooperative Banks, an Umbrella Organisation (NUCFDC) has been established to address operational challenges and facilitate smooth functioning, while an independent 'Sahkar Sarathi' platform has been developed for Rural Cooperative Banks.
The cooperative sector requires approximately 17 lakh trained human resources over the next 10 years, addressed through the establishment of India's first cooperative university, 'Tribhuvan' Sahkari University. New initiatives including White Revolution, Sahkar Bima, and Bharat Taxi are expanding the scope of cooperation. The National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) continues to provide financial and institutional support to cooperative institutions across the country.