Amit Shah, inaugurated the National Cooperative Database and released the ‘National Cooperative Database 2023: A Report’ in New Delhi. Union Minister of State for Cooperatives, Shri B.L. Verma and Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, along with many dignitaries, were present on the occasion.
In his address, Shri Amit Shah said that today marks a very important program for the cooperative sector, its expansion, and strengthening, as the inauguration of the cooperative database is taking place first time since India’s independence. Top of Form
He mentioned that today’s program is aimed at the expansion of the cooperative sector and providing momentum to it. Shri Shahnoted that after years of hard work by thousands of people, we have achieved this success today.
The Union Minister of Cooperation stated that after the 1960s, it was felt that there was a need for coordination among the cooperative movements of every state under a national policy. He mentioned that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, taking a bold decision, established the Ministry of Cooperation, leading it to fruition. He stated that in the last two years, all Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) in the country have been computerized, and all states have accepted common bylaws to increasetheir business. Today, all PACS are progressing towards development. Shri Shah mentioned that the Modi government has created model bylawsas advisories, under which PACS have become multi-dimensional and can undertake various tasks. He stated that today, all states in the country have risen above partisan politics and accepted these model bylaws, paving the way for the expansion of PACS.
Shri Amit Shah said that we have introduced 20 new activities to be associated with PACS, enabling them to generate profits. He stated that the computerization of PACS has opened up many possibilities for their development. It has been decided that by 2027, there will be a PACS in every village in the country. Shri Shah remarked that after this decision, a challenge arose as they were unsure of the gaps and that’s when the idea of this database emerged. The database aims to identify and address the gaps through a comprehensive analysis.He said that National Database will give direction to development of Cooperative sector like a Compass.
The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperationstated that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has worked to bring revolutionary changes to the rural economy and the lives of common people, lifting 25 crore people above the poverty line in the last 10 years. He mentioned that the Ministry of Cooperation is actively working to connect millions of people with the country’s economy and development.Shri Shah emphasized that the cooperative database will play a crucial role in the expansion of cooperatives, digital development, and delivery through databases. He explained that data works to guide development in the right direction and will be highly effective in analyzing gaps. Shri Shah added that we are experiencing a new trend in this era – data governance, proactive governance, and anticipatory governance. The synergy of these three leads to the establishment of a new development model.
Shri Amit Shah mentioned that the work on the National Cooperative Database has been carried out in three phases. In the first phase, mapping of approximately 2.64 lakh societies in three sectors, namely Primary Agricultural Credit Societies, Dairy, and Fisheries, was completed. In the second phase, data from various National Federations, State Federations, State Cooperative Banks (StCB), District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCB), Urban Cooperative Banks (UCB), State Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (SCARDB), Primary Agricultural and Rural Development Banks (PCARDB), cooperative sugar mills, district unions, and multi-state cooperative societies (MSCS) were collected/mapped.In the third phase, data mapping of all the remaining 8 lakh primary cooperative societies in other sectors was carried out. He mentioned that after this, it was revealed that there are more than 8 lakh registered societies in the country, with over 30 crore citizens connected to them. Shri Shah stated that the database has the potential to connect PACS to Apex, villages to cities, mandis to the global market, and state databases to international databases. He mentioned that in the campaign for the expansion of cooperatives initiated by the Narendra Modi government with the Whole of Government Approach, this database will play a crucial role in paving the way.
The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah stated that the Modi government has undertaken several initiatives related to computerization in the cooperative sector. He mentioned that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the entire cooperatives, from PACS to Apex, have been computerized to enhance their efficiency. He stated that this database is the answer to all cooperative activities in India.Shri Shah mentioned that this National Database is created using state-of-the-art technology, featuring a dynamic web-based platform. With the help of this platform, all information about registered cooperative societies across the country will be available at the click of a button.
Shri Amit Shah mentioned that this cooperative database will serve as an invaluable resource for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders. He added that the authenticity of the data in this database and its regular updates are ensured through a comprehensive scientific system. He assured that the Ministry of Cooperation will ensure that only verified data is regularly uploaded to this database.Shri Shah explained that after 1975, the pace of the cooperative movement in the country slowed down due to geographical imbalances in development. Along with this, across sector imbalance, across community imbalance and functional imbalance also increased. However, tools to address these four issues have been incorporated into this database. He mentioned that today, thousands of people, organizations, and states have collectively accomplished a monumental task. Minister of Cooperationadded that today marks the foundation of a strong cooperative structure that will stand for the next hundred and fifty years on this foundation in the coming years.
