Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah to Chair the “Manthan” Meeting of Cooperation Ministers of States/Union Territories in Gandhinagar, Gujarat
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah to Chair the “Manthan” Meeting of Cooperation Ministers of States/Union Territories in Gandhinagar, Gujarat
Inspired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of “Sahkar se Samriddhi” and under the leadership of the Hon’ble Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah, the Ministry of Cooperation has undertaken wide-ranging and structural reforms in recent years to make the cooperative sector stronger, more transparent and modern. With the objective of transforming cooperative societies from merely institutional entities into member-centric, income-enhancing and self-reliant economic units, a high-level ‘Manthan’ Meeting of Cooperation Ministers of States and Union Territories will be held on 17 February 2026 at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, under the chairmanship of Shri Amit Shah.
The meeting will be attended by Cooperation Ministers of all States and Union Territories, along with officers of the rank of Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary/Secretary. The platform will enable a comprehensive review of key initiatives of the Ministry of Cooperation, assessment of progress made so far, exchange of best practices and experiences from States, and preparation of a coordinated roadmap for the future.
Discussions will include the progress of establishing 2 lakh new Multi-Purpose Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), dairy and fisheries cooperative societies, aimed at providing fresh momentum to the rural economy. Deliberations will also be held on expanding the nationwide network of modern warehouses under the world’s largest grain storage plan, ensuring improved storage facilities, price stability and better market access for farmers.
The meeting will also focus on the role, participation and expectations of States in newly formed national-level cooperative institutions — National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL), National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL), and Bharatiya Beej Sahkari Samiti Limited (BBSSL) — to strengthen cooperatives in the areas of exports, organic farming and quality seed supply.
Further, discussions will cover time-bound reforms in State cooperative laws, adoption of model legislation in line with the 97th Constitutional Amendment, enhancing the economic viability of cooperative sugar mills, promoting circularity and sustainability in the dairy sector, and formation of new dairy cooperative societies in collaboration with Amul and NDDB.
Issues such as promotion of pulses and maize production, resolution of challenges faced by cooperative banks, strengthening of Shared Service Entities (SSE) and umbrella structures, expansion of membership and awareness campaigns, and development of an effective media and communication strategy will also be part of the deliberations.
In addition, States’ expectations regarding computerisation of PACS and RCS offices, utilisation of the National Cooperative Database, human resource development and training, and improved implementation of schemes of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) will be discussed.
The Manthan Meeting is expected to further strengthen the spirit of cooperative federalism and foster closer coordination between the Centre and the States, thereby making cooperatives a powerful instrument of prosperity, employment generation and self-reliance at the grassroots level.
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