Sonipat, Nov 14 (IANS) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, on Friday, inaugurated the 72nd state-level Cooperative Week in Sonipat town.

Addressing the gathering, he said that the soul of India resides in its villages and that the path to progress lies through cooperation.

He added that this year is being celebrated as the ‘Year of Cooperatives’, and the event will play a key role in achieving the vision of prosperity through cooperation and self-reliance.

The Chief Minister urged the youth to shed traditional mindsets, form cooperatives, and transform them into global brands through the power of Digital India.

Chief Minister Saini said “we must remember the millions of people who, through their small savings and collective strength, built a robust cooperative movement. Today, India is the world’s fourth-largest economy and is rapidly moving toward becoming the third largest”.

Cooperatives, he said, are vital to achieving this goal.

The Chief Minister added that in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged to strengthen the cooperative sector and, for the first time in history, established a dedicated Ministry of Cooperation.

“Carrying forward the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, the state government has resolved to turn cooperatives into a mass movement.”

CM Saini said that Haryana is steadily advancing in the cooperative sector.

RuPay Kisan Credit Cards have been issued to more than 300,000 farmers across the state through 19 District Central Cooperative Banks, he added.

Additionally, 21 Primary Agricultural Credit Society centres have been selected for the construction of warehouses, he said.

He added that no interest is charged on crop loans for members of primary cooperative societies who repay on time.

As of now, this scheme has provided interest relief amounting to Rs 1,223 crore to 531,652 farmers.

Haryana State Cooperative Supply And Marketing Federation Limited is setting up a mega food park in Rohtak at a cost of nearly Rs 180 crore under the Central government’s Mega Food Park Scheme.

–IANS

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