Amit Shah, Union Minister of Home Affairs and Co-operation
To further strengthen the cooperative sector in India, Shah said, a cooperative insurance company will be set up soon that will provide insurance coverage to all cooperative societies in the country. He exuded confidence that the insurance company will emerge as the biggest private insurance company in time to come.
New Delhi: Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill to set up ‘Tribhuvan Sahkari University’ in Gujarat’s Anand with an aim to create a qualified manpower for co-operative societies.
The university has been named after Tribhuvandas Kishibhai Patel, who was one of the pioneers of cooperative movement in India and instrumental in laying the foundation of Amul, Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah said during a debate on the “Tribhuvan” Sahkari University Bill, 2025.
The proposed university will also address the long pending issue of capacity building of employees and board members in the co-operative sector in a pan-India and focused manner.
To further strengthen the cooperative sector in India, Shah said, a cooperative insurance company will be set up soon that will provide insurance coverage to all cooperative societies in the country.
He exuded confidence that the insurance company will emerge as the biggest private insurance company in time to come.
In the coming days, he said, ‘Sahkar Taxi’ on the lines of Ola and Uber will be set up which will register two-wheelers and four-wheelers and the money will directly go to the driver instead of the app operator.
To expand the cooperative movement, he said, additional 2 lakh Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) will be created before 2029 general elections.
With the addition, all villages will have their own PACS, he said, adding, all states have adopted model bylaws whereby 50 economic activities have been brought under their ambit.
Once the Bill is passed, India will get its first university for the cooperative sector for capacity building of manpower engaged in the sector.
The university will not only train people but also upgrade skills of those working in the sector, he said, adding, it will follow a hub-and-spoke model for imparting training in different states through institutions related to the sector.
There are about 8 lakh cooperative societies with 30 crore members in India. Every fifth Indian is attached to any cooperative society.
Cooperative not only fosters rural development but creates opportunity for self employment and research and innovation.
Citing the successful journey of Amul, Shah said, its turnover was Rs 2,882 crore in 2003 and now it has crossed Rs 60,000 crore which is five times more than HUL and eight times of Nestle India.
At the Group level, he said, the turnover is Rs 90,000 crore including non-dairy business.