Amit Shah lays foundation stone of training centre at Bharuch co-operative bank

The union minister praised the 115-year-old BDCCB which is one of the oldest bank in Gujarat.

“In 2001-02, when the cooperative sector in Gujarat was passing through a tough time, chairman of the bank Arunsinh Rana (then Bharuch District Congress president and now BJP MLA from Vagra ) approached the then chief minister Narendra Modi for help. Leaving aside politics, Narendrabhai had helped BDCCB. In the meeting with us, Modiji had mentioned that the decision was taken not seeing who is seated on the administration of the cooperative societies, but to extend help to those farmers’ societies and milk societies. Due to this, the BDCCB has emerged as strongest bank today.”

Shah further said that in a short time, all the cooperative societies in India will directly linked to Government of India and NABARD, through computerised systems.

“In the recently announced Union Budget, Rs 900 crore has been allotted to the co-operative sector. Reduction has been done in the Minimum Alternate Tax from 18.5 per cent to 15 per cent, and surcharge reduced from 12 per cent to 5 per cent. In short time, all the cooperative societies in India will directly linked to Government of India and NABARD, through computerized systems. The primary agriculture societies will be directly be connected to the State and District cooperative banks and NABARD. The project is of Rs 650 crore and it is on the verge of completion. Once it is completed, over 65,000 cooperative societies will get a new life.”

Shah also said that the cooperative societies can now buy from Government e-Marketplace (GeM) platform. Till now the central and state governments were buyers from this platform and now cooperative sectors are entitled to buy from this platform, he said.

Shah added, “The cooperative sector in Gujarat has done a lot of work for the economical development of the state and even stood with the common people, and also has benefitted each and every sector including cooperative sectors, like Amul, thousands of cooperative societies, milk societies, thousands of Sewa Sahkari Mandlali, housing, fishery, fodder sectors, etc.”