Union minister of Cooperation launches initiatives to strengthen cooperatives sector

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Key initiatives launched

Margdarshika: Action plan for 2 lakh new Multi-Purpose Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS), Dairy, and Fishery Cooperatives.
- PACS are the grass root level arms of the short-term co-operative credit structure.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for ‘White Revolution 2.0’: It is focused on women’s empowerment through dairy initiatives.
- It is expected to increase milk procurement to 1,000 lakh kilograms per day by 2029.
SOPs for ‘Cooperation among Cooperatives’: for financial inclusion.
- Through this program, cooperative bank accounts were opened for members of cooperative societies.

Removing inequality: as they are people-centered, not capital-centered, they distribute wealth in a more fair way.
Empowerment of farmers: cooperative societies like NAFED, IFFCO, and AMUL have played a crucial role in the social and economic development of the farmers.
Financial inclusion: cooperative banks provide loans to their members at low interest rates.
Women empowerment: as it helps in increasing their representation and income.

The milk revolution, popularly known as White Revolution, started in 1970 with the programme - Operation Flood.
Operation Flood was implemented in three phases:
- Phase I (1970-80): Linked 18 milksheds to 4 major cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai).
- Phase II (1981-1985): Established 43,000 village cooperatives, boosting milk powder production from 22,000 to 140,000 tons.
- Phase III (1985-1996): Added 30,000 new cooperatives; emphasis on research and development in animal health etc.
Current Status: India is the highest milk producer with 230.58 million tonnes production (2022-23).