Sambalpur: November 24:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guiding principle is ‘Prosperity through cooperation’. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan emphasised that, while the past was dedicated to achieving Swaraj, current efforts must be directed towards achieving prosperity through collaborative efforts, during his participation at the ‘District Level Sarvabharatiya Samavaya Saptah – 2025’ program in Sambalpur.
Union Minister Pradhan thanked the Sambalpur District Administration and the Cooperative Department for organising such a program on the occasion of the 72nd Sarvabharatiya Samavaya Saptah. He said that cooperation is an integral part of our society. It is not just a business model; it is an idea. Be it Madhubabu’s Utkal Tannery or companies like Amul, pioneered by Sardar Patelji, these are potent examples of cooperatives. This idea has played a unique role in empowering the rural economy and farmers.
The government’s efforts to include the cooperative sector in the mainstream of the country’s development have created new momentum nationwide. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have emphasised the importance of this vision.
The Modi government established the Ministry of Cooperation and ushered in a new era of cooperative policy. Emphasis is on strengthening and diversifying businesses through cooperatives under the Central Cooperative Policy.
Pradhan said, everyone has the right to live a dignified life. When we connect the small farmers, women and the poor of the village through cooperatives, then the dream of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ will be realised in the true sense.
He emphasised that cooperatives demonstrate real prosperity arises from collective, rather than individual, effort—an approach that will drive Sambalpur’s development.
Finally, Pradhan suggested organising cooperative training camps at each Panchayat level in the coming days and asked that the youth of the new generation be involved. He called for the formation of 150 multi-purpose cooperative societies and 50 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in Sambalpur district in the coming days.
He urged all families in the district to join either FPOs or cooperative societies within the next 2 years.
Ravi Narayan Naik, Minister of Panchayati Raj, Rural Development and Drinking Water and Sambalpur MLA Jai Narayan Mishra were prominently present at the event.
