“Gujarat’s co-operative system is a role model for the country, with co-operative sugar mills being the best in the country. The cooperative sector has made invaluable contributions in providing equal development opportunities to the poor, farmers, women, and youth of the country,” said Union Home and Co-operation Minister Amit Shah while addressing a conference on ‘Sahakar Se Samrudhi’ (‘Prosperity through Co-operation’) at Bajipura in Gujarat’s Tapi on Sunday. 

The cooperative sector will be at the forefront of fulfilling the PM Modi’s dream of a self-reliant India and doubling the income of farmers, he said. 

In Bajipura, the Surat District Co-operative Milk Producers Union Ltd (Sumul Dairy) is organising the event under the chairmanship of the minister. 

Shah inaugurated various projects under the ‘Sahi Poshan, Desh Roshan’ campaign, in collaboration with the state government and Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Union.

Shah, who is the country’s first co-operation minister, further said that the seeds of village upliftment were sown by co-operative leaders including Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Tribhuvandas Patel,  Bhaikaka, Vaikunth Mehta, was turned into a huge tree today.

Appreciating the co-operative structure of south Gujarat – famously touted as a centre of co-operative activities – he said that the journey of Sumul Dairy, which started with a capacity of  275 litres of milk, today has reached 2.5 lakh members of 1,200 milk societies.

Source : The Indian Express , March 14 2022