Cooperatives model a middle path, can make India self-reliant: Amit Shah

Highlighting the significance of the cooperative sector, Shah said the cooperatives accounts for “19 per cent of the agricultural credit, 35 per cent of fertiliser distribution, 25 per cent of fertiliser production, 31 per cent of sugar production, 10 per cent of the production and procurement of milk, 13 per cent of wheat procurement, 20 per cent of paddy procurement and 21 per cent of fish production.”

“Is it the state of satisfaction? This is not the state of satisfaction,” Shah said. “India is a country where over 60 crore, about 70 crore people are considered as poor,” he said, adding nothing can be better than cooperatives to make them financially self-reliant by connecting them with the development of the country.

Hitting out at Congress, Shah said “these 70 crore (poor) people” were not in a position to even dream of development in the last 70 years because the previous government used to only have the slogan of “garibi hatao”. Under the Modi government, there has been a radical change in lives of these people, Shah said, adding people are now getting basic facilities.