The Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh has said that cooperatives can play a paramount role in creating employment opportunities in rural areas. .Cooperatives related to dairy have proved this while creating employment opportunities in plenty. Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that cooperatives have made themselves prominent in every walk of life and through the vast network of cooperatives about 100 million people have benefitted with opportunities of employment throughout the world. The Minister of Agriculture was speaking at a conference of the 12th International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) – Asia Pacific Regional Assembly and 9th Cooperative Forum. Shri Singh warmly welcomed almost 250 foreign delegates coming from Asia Pacific region to participate in the conference and expressed hope that this conference will prove a milestone to strengthen the cooperatives in Asia – Pacific Region..
The Minister added that the Government of India has launched a number of schemes of paramount importance under the guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi. Shri Singh said that cooperatives can play a vital role in implementing schemes such as Toilets in Schools, Jan Dhan Yojana, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, Make in India, Soil Health Card because it has large network spread in the remotest areas as well as in villages. The Minister further said that government has put a strong thrust on the creation of employment opportunities related to skills. As nearly 65% population of the country is below 38. Keeping in view this sort of scenario the cooperatives can play a very important role in creating the opportunities of employment as well as access to rural areas.
Shri Singh opined that ICA Asia Pacific Regional Assembly has sustained development for all, which is very much consistent with present perspective. This corresponds to the sustainable development agenda 2030 of the United Nations which has put a special thrust on reaching the target of sustainable development comprised of poverty abolition, health services, employment creation and check on climate change.
Shri Radha Mohan Singh further said that there are more than 6 lakh cooperatives in the country. The membership of them has gone up as the 2491.20 million. These cooperatives have made the cooperative movement as the largest movement in the world. These cooperatives are working in the regime of fertilizers delivery, sugar production, handlooms as well as retail sector. The cooperatives sector imparts self employment to 17.80 million people and cooperatives related to fisheries, labour, handlooms and gender cooperatives have played very important role in bringing improvement in social economic condition of the weaker sections of the society. The cooperatives related to dairy sector have made the country self dependent by realizing “White Revolution”. Housing cooperatives have provided facilities of accommodation to the weaker section of the society at reasonable price.