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New Delhi, Nov 19 (IANS) Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said that the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) has emerged as a strong instrument for empowering cooperative societies.

Addressing the 92nd General Council Meeting of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) in New Delhi, the Cooperation Minister stated, “Following the establishment of the Ministry of Cooperation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the cooperative sector has witnessed unprecedented progress, and NCDC has emerged as the principal foundation of this transformation.”

Shah stated that the Government is committed to bringing positive change to the lives of farmers, rural families, fishers, small producers, and entrepreneurs through the cooperative movement, and cooperation is playing a vital role in the nation’s efforts toward self-reliance.

In his address, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah said that NCDC, established to empower cooperative societies and make financial assistance accessible to them, has increased its total disbursement from Rs 24,700 crore in the financial year 2020-21 to Rs 95,200 crore in 2024-25. Over the past four years, NCDC has undertaken major initiatives to strengthen the cooperative sector and has set new benchmarks in financial inclusion, innovation, and expansion.

Shah said that cooperation is an excellent model for making India a developed economy because it ensures participation and livelihood opportunities in rural areas. In the last four years, NCDC has registered a compound annual growth rate of over 40 per cent, maintained zero net NPA, and achieved its highest-ever net profit of Rs 807 crore, which has strengthened the institution’s credibility and reputation. NCDC has effectively worked in the sectors of dairy, food processing, textiles, and marketing through DCCBs, State Cooperative Banks, and State Marketing Federations.

The efforts being undertaken to develop PACS as Farmer Producer Organisations ensure that farmers receive fair value for their produce and encourage community benefit over individual profit.

To promote organic farming, organic production, and exports following the Green Revolution, multi-state cooperative institutions such as National Cooperative Export Limited (NCEL), Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Limited (BBSSL), and National Cooperative Organic Limited (NCOL) are committed to driving these initiatives.

In the fisheries sector, NCDC has achieved the target of forming and strengthening 1,070 FFPOs, and under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samriddhi Sah-Yojana, work is in progress to strengthen 2,348 FFPOs. Financial assistance provided for purchasing trawlers for deep-sea fishing in Maharashtra and Gujarat has boosted the Blue Economy and economically empowered the fishing community, especially women.

Shah said that the circular economy should be encouraged in the sugar and dairy sectors to increase profitability. Based on the Rs 1,000 crore government grant provided for modernising cooperative sugar mills, NCDC has disbursed Rs 10,005 crore to 56 sugar mills for ethanol plants, co-gen, and working capital, enabling mills to access alternative income streams and low-interest loans.

The Home Minister stated that NCDC is playing a key role in establishing the cooperative-based “Bharat Taxi” ride-hailing service. The new multi-state cooperative society has been registered, and driver enrolment, along with technological development, is in progress.

NCDC has expanded the reach of cooperation by establishing a new regional office in Vijayawada and sub-offices in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Sikkim, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Nagaland.

Based on the Rs 2,000 crore government grant approved on 31 July 2025, NCDC is mobilising Rs 20,000 crore to provide long-term and working-capital loans at concessional rates to dairy, livestock, fisheries, sugar, textile, food processing, storage, cold storage, agriculture, and women cooperative societies. Alongside this, NCDC has provided substantial support to the umbrella organisation of urban cooperative banks and Sahakar Sarathi, through which technology services will be delivered to urban and rural cooperative banks.

To increase youth participation, NCDC’s ‘Cooperative Intern’ programme is being implemented effectively, under which selected interns are providing technical and managerial support to cooperative institutions.

The General Council of NCDC included 51 members, comprising senior officials from various ministries, state governments, top cooperative organisations, and NITI Aayog.

--IANS

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