Pune (Maharashtra) [India], February 22 Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the 27th meeting of the Western Regional Council in Pune, where he underscored the importance of the cooperative sector in achieving India's ambitious goals.
Speaking at the event, "PM Modi has set two targets for India--Viksit Bharat by 2047 and USD 5 trillion economy. These two goals can be achieved by the contribution of the cooperative sector, and that is why he has initiated the Union cooperative ministry."
He praised the ministry's work and its impact, saying, "Through this ministry, a lot of things have been revolutionised in the country. The ministry works on the motto of 'Sahkar se Samriddhi'. And this Janta Sahkari bank also works on the same lines."
Shah also urged the sector to embrace technology, saying, "Friends, today as we move forward with cooperatives, I want to say with certainty that we must also embrace technology."
He highlighted Maharashtra's contribution, stating, "If we take a broad look at the cooperative and urban cooperative banking sector in the country, there are a total of 1,465 cooperative banks, of which 460 are in Maharashtra alone. If there is any state with the highest number of urban cooperative banks in the country, it is Maharashtra. There are a total of 49 scheduled banks..."
Shah further outlined the government's decision to improve access to cooperative services, announcing, "The government of the Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to make the office of the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies a regional office, which will make it much easier for people to access services. The first-ever regional office of CRCS will open in Pune, and the entire credit for this goes to Murlidhar Ji..."
Additionally, Shah discussed a major initiative to support cooperative banks across the country: "We are activating a UMBRELLA organisation, which will help all cooperative banks in all possible ways. A budget of Rs 300 crore is also cleared for the UMBRELLA organisation..."