A high-level meeting of state cooperation ministers will be held on February 17 in Gandhinagar to strengthen the cooperative sector and accelerate rural economic reforms.

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• Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah will chair the “Manthan” meeting at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.
• Cooperation Ministers from all States and Union Territories, along with senior officials at the level of Additional Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary and Secretary, will participate.
• Discussions will focus on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Prosperity through Cooperation” to make the cooperative sector a pillar of rural development.
• The agenda includes the rollout of two lakh new Multi-Purpose Primary Agricultural Credit Societies, dairy cooperatives and fisheries cooperatives.
• Progress on the nationwide expansion of modern warehouses under the grain storage plan will be reviewed to improve storage and farmer market access.
• State participation in National Cooperative Exports Limited, National Cooperative Organics Limited and Bharatiya Beej Sahkari Samiti Limited will be discussed.
• Time-bound reforms in state cooperative laws in line with the 97th Constitutional Amendment and improving the viability of cooperative sugar mills will be examined.
• Strengthening the National Cooperative Development Corporation schemes, computerisation of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies and promotion of cooperative federalism will be emphasised.