Gujarat Expands 'Cooperation among Cooperatives' Initiative Statewide

The Gujarat government plans to extend the 'Cooperation among Cooperatives' initiative to all 33 districts after a successful pilot in Banaskantha and Panchmahal. The initiative, envisioned by Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, aims to centralize cooperative societies' bank accounts, enhancing financial liquidity and consolidation under district and state cooperative banks.

After successfully launching the 'Cooperation among Cooperatives' initiative on a pilot basis in Banaskantha and Panchmahal districts, the Gujarat government has announced plans to extend the program across all 33 districts of the state, officials said on Wednesday.

The initiative aims to enhance the cooperation among Gujarat's thousands of cooperative societies by centralizing their bank accounts and deposits in various district and state cooperative banks. This initiative, envisioned by Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, has shown positive results in the pilot districts.

Gujarat Cooperation Minister Jagdish Vishwakarma stated that the pilot project's success has prompted the government to expand the initiative statewide. Over 4 lakh new accounts were opened, resulting in a Rs 966 crore spike in bank deposits, and more than 1,700 micro ATMs were installed in cooperative societies, bolstering financial services at the village level.