Dehradun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami stated that strong leadership will strengthen Multipurpose Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (M-PACS), strong M-PACS will strengthen villages, and strong villages will build a prosperous Uttarakhand. He highlighted that connecting farmers, youth, and women power (Matrishakti) with cooperatives remains a key priority for the state government.
The Chief Minister virtually addressed the inaugural session of the Lakshmanrao Inamdar 2nd Cooperative Leadership Training Class, organized by Sahakar Bharati Uttarakhand at Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Pantnagar from his residence on Monday. He paid tribute to Laxmanrao Inamdar, the founder of Sahakar Bharati, on his birth anniversary.
Rural Economy to Gain Strength Through Cooperatives
Dhami emphasized that such training programs will play a vital role in accelerating the rural economy by strengthening cooperatives. In a hilly state like Uttarakhand, cooperatives can serve as an effective tool to prevent migration, strengthen hill agriculture, provide markets for local produce, and bolster the rural economy.
He added that PACS are a crucial cornerstone of the state’s cooperative system. In line with changing needs, they are being transformed into M-PACS to make them more capable and effective, aiming to provide better facilities to farmers, new opportunities for youth, and economic strength to rural areas.
Leadership Training to Provide New Direction
The Chief Minister noted that skilled and visionary leadership is necessary to make M-PACS effective, which is why this leadership training initiative was launched. Training is not just limited to expanding knowledge, but serves as a medium to impart new thinking, vision, and direction to leadership.
He reiterated that the government is working to make cooperatives an effective instrument of public participation and economic empowerment rather than restricting them to mere committees. The goal is to ensure cooperative benefits reach the last person in every village.
New Energy for Cooperatives from Pantnagar
Dhami remarked that several initiatives giving new direction to cooperatives have originated from Pantnagar. Initiatives such as the release of Sahakar Granth, the Devbhoomi Sarthi State Cooperative Union initiative, new cooperative courses, social media campaigns to engage youth, and M-PACS leadership training will inject fresh energy into this sector.
He called upon participating representatives to strengthen the cooperative spirit in their respective regions and engage as many people as possible. Cabinet Minister Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat, Pantnagar University Vice-Chancellor Shivendra Kumar Kashyap, Sahakar Bharati National General Secretary Deepak Chaurasia, State President Vinod Kumar Gaur, Organization Secretary Maniram Nautiyal, State Treasurer Sudhir Kumar Joshi, and other dignitaries joined virtually.
