Uttarakhand: On Monday, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami virtually addressed the inaugural session of the ‘Shri Laxmanrao Inamdar 2nd Cooperative Leadership Training Workshop’—organized by Sahakar Bharati Uttarakhand at Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar—from his official residence.
Paying tribute to Sahakar Bharati founder the late Shri Laxmanrao Inamdar on his birth anniversary, the Chief Minister stated that such training programs would play a pivotal role in strengthening the rural economy by empowering the cooperative sector. He remarked that strong leadership would strengthen M-PACS (Multipurpose Primary Agricultural Credit Societies); strong M-PACS would strengthen villages; and strong villages would lead to a prosperous Uttarakhand.
The Chief Minister noted that several significant initiatives aimed at giving a new direction to the cooperative sector have originated from the ‘land of knowledge’ that is Pantnagar. He stated that the sector would receive a fresh boost through initiatives such as the launch of the ‘Sahakar Granth’ (Cooperative Compendium), the ‘Devbhoomi Sarathi’ State Cooperative Union initiative, the introduction of new cooperative-sector curricula, a social media ‘Reels’ campaign to engage youth with cooperatives, and the launch of the M-PACS leadership training program. He extended his best wishes to the Cooperative Department, Pantnagar University, and Sahakar Bharati for these initiatives.
The Chief Minister stated that the state government aims to rapidly advance ‘Devbhoomi’ Uttarakhand towards the goal of ‘Prosperity through Cooperation’ (*Sahakar se Samriddhi*). In the mountainous state of Uttarakhand, cooperatives can serve as an effective medium to address various challenges. Cooperatives play a crucial role in curbing migration, strengthening hill agriculture, providing market access for local products, and empowering the rural economy.
He emphasized that PACS form the vital cornerstone of the state’s cooperative system. To meet evolving needs, they are being transformed into M-PACS to make them more capable and effective. The state government is working to provide better facilities to farmers, create new opportunities for the youth, and economically strengthen rural areas through M-PACS.
The Chief Minister added that skilled and visionary leadership is essential to make M-PACS effective, and it is with this objective that the leadership training program has been launched. Training is not merely a means to enhance knowledge but also a powerful tool for providing leadership with fresh thinking, a clear vision, and direction.
The Chief Minister stated that integrating farmers, the youth, and women into the cooperative sector is a priority for the state government. Instead of limiting cooperatives solely to societies, the government is continuously working to transform them into effective instruments for public participation and economic empowerment. The aim is to ensure that the benefits of the cooperative movement reach the last person in the village and that every individual becomes a participant in the development process.
The Chief Minister urged the representatives participating in the training program to further strengthen the spirit of cooperation in their respective areas and to bring as many people as possible into the fold. He emphasized the need for collective effort to empower villages, provide opportunities to the youth, and boost the economic strength of farmers by transforming the cooperative movement into a collective force of the people.
Cabinet Minister Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat; Mr. Shivendra Kumar Kashyap, Vice-Chancellor of Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar; Mr. Deepak Chaurasia (National General Secretary, Sahakar Bharati), Mr. Vinod Kumar Gaur (State President), Mr. Maniram Nautiyal (Organization Secretary), and Mr. Sudhir Kumar Joshi (State Treasurer) of Sahakar Bharati; along with Dr. Brijesh and Dr. Dinesh Kumar Singh, joined the event virtually.
