Cooperative movement has brought economic revival in rural India: Om Birla

GANGAPUR: Asserting that the Cooperative movement is not only the growth of farmers but also the growth of the society at large, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Saturday said that the movement has also brought economic revival in rural India. The Lok Sabha Speaker was addressing the ‘Sahakar Kisan Sammelan’ at Gangapur City in Rajasthan.

The event was organized by the fertilizer cooperative IFFCO and was attended by the Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, among others. Speaking on the occasion, Birla thanked the farming community, especially the women who had turned up in large numbers to attend the function. Birla felt that the enthusiasm exhibited by the attendees was representative of the popularity of the cooperation movement in India.

The Lok Sabha Speaker stated that the cooperative movement does not only involve farmers but also encompasses labourers, workers, women etc. all working together towards a common goal.

"The goal of the Cooperative movement is not only the growth of farmers but also the growth of the society at large. The movement has brought economic revival in rural India through various endeavours like zero-interest loans, usage and development of nano fertilizers reducing dependency on large financial institutions as well as reducing our import liabilities. With the creation of a dedicated Ministry for Cooperation and recent policy initiatives taken by the Ministry, the cooperative sector in India has been revived and strengthened," asserted Birla.

He felt that cooperative movement is a true reflection of the ‘Atma Nirbhar’ India as envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Birla gave the example of the success of Operation Flood which led to the establishment of the most successful cooperative institution in India viz. Amul and stated that we should take inspiration from such initiatives and replicate them in every village.

He felt that the success of the cooperative movement lies in benefitting the last farmer in the most remote of locations. Birla also encouraged and urged people to participate in the Gram Sahkari Samitis with full enthusiasm and felt that this was excellent for dissemination of information about agricultural practices, seeds, fertilizers as well as financial assistance etc.

Expressing his vision of a new India where every village would have their own food processing Units so that food grown in the hinterlands could be transported to large cities/urban areas on the same day, Birla encouraged people to support the cooperative movement to make this a reality. Birla noted that the cooperative movement is now a true grassroot movement that has the potential to weed out corruption, increase transparency and assure self-sufficiency and self-reliance.