Mumbai, Jun 20 (PTI) Union minister Amit Shah on Friday said the cooperative sector grew unevenly in India as it stabilised only in the western parts but remained weak in northern and eastern regions, and added that the government intends to make its growth symmetrical.
Addressing a cooperation sector conference organised by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED), he also said the cooperative sector boosts the economy by providing more profit with limited capital.
"The cooperative movement weakened in the northern and eastern parts of India and was stable only in western parts of the country. But we are already taking steps to transform the sector by making it grow symmetrically from its present uneven growth," the Union Home and Cooperation Minister said.
"We will make the co-operative sector progress by strengthening it at all levels in the country," he said.
GDP is not the only parameter for growth. Cooperative sector boosts growth and economy by providing more profit and employment opportunities with less capital, Shah added.
The cooperative movement revolutionised the rural economy. In Gujarat, 36 lakh women associated with Amul (dairy cooperative), did not even have Rs 100 as capital, but today its turnover of Rs 80,000 crore, he said.
According to Shah, the cooperation ministry has compiled the data of cooperative units in the country so the government knows where the vacuum is and takes steps towards the expansion of the sector.
Two lakh new primary agricultural credit societies (PACS) will be formed and made multi-dimensional, he said.
Organic farming will also get a boost, the minister said, adding that protection and conservation of seeds is being done and emphasis will be given on increasing the production of seeds.
"We plan to give a boost to the sector in export, organic food and seeds in the next 10 years," he added.
Farmers can sell dal, maize and oilseeds to NAFED if they register on its app. But if the market rate is more, they can sell the produce directly, Shah said.