Uttarakhand: Strong M-PAX will strengthen villages and make Uttarakhand prosperous – CM Dhami

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami stated that strong leadership will strengthen M-PACS (Multipurpose Primary Agricultural Credit Societies); strong M-PACS will strengthen villages, and strong villages will pave the way for a prosperous Uttarakhand. He emphasized that connecting farmers, the youth, and women (Matrushakti) with the cooperative sector is a priority for the state government.

On Monday, the Chief Minister virtually addressed the inaugural session of the ‘Laxmanrao Inamdar 2nd Cooperative Leadership Training Workshop’—organized by Sahakar Bharati Uttarakhand at the Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Pantnagar—from his official residence. He paid tribute to Sahakar Bharati founder Laxmanrao Inamdar on his birth anniversary.

Cooperation to Strengthen the Rural Economy

Dhami remarked that such training programs would play a pivotal role in boosting the rural economy by strengthening the cooperative sector. In a mountainous state like Uttarakhand, cooperatives can serve as an effective medium to curb migration, strengthen hill agriculture, provide market access for local products, and empower the rural economy.

He noted that PACS form the crucial cornerstone of the state’s cooperative system. They are being transformed into more capable and effective M-PACS to meet evolving needs. Through these societies, efforts are underway to provide better facilities to farmers, create new opportunities for the youth, and ensure economic strength for rural areas.

Leadership Training to Provide a New Direction

The Chief Minister stated that skilled and visionary leadership is essential to make M-PACS effective. The leadership training program has been launched with this very objective. The training is not merely about imparting information; it is also a means to instill a new mindset, vision, and direction in leadership.

He added that the government is working to transform the cooperative sector into an effective vehicle for public participation and economic empowerment, rather than limiting it to mere societies. The aim is to ensure that the benefits of cooperation reach the last person in the village and that every individual becomes a participant in the development process. New Momentum for the Cooperative Sector from Pantnagar

Dhami stated that several initiatives aimed at giving a new direction to the cooperative sector have been launched from the ‘land of knowledge’—Pantnagar. Initiatives such as the unveiling of the ‘Sahkar Granth’ (Cooperative Compendium), the ‘Devbhoomi Sarathi’ State Cooperative Union initiative, new cooperative-related curricula, social media campaigns to engage the youth, and ‘m-PACS’ leadership training will infuse new energy into this sector.

The Chief Minister urged the representatives participating in the training to strengthen the spirit of cooperation in their respective areas and to bring more people into the fold. He emphasized the need for collective effort to transform the cooperative movement into a source of strength for the masses, thereby empowering villages, creating opportunities for the youth, and bolstering the economic condition of farmers.

Cabinet Minister Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat, Pantnagar University Vice-Chancellor Shivendra Kumar Kashyap, Sahkar Bharati National General Secretary Deepak Chaurasia, State President Vinod Kumar Gaur, Organization Secretary Maniram Nautiyal, State Treasurer Sudhir Kumar Joshi, along with other office-bearers and officials, joined the event virtually.