Replying to the question of whether the deliberations involved in making the new national co-op polity are also looking up to the models being practiced in Israel and Japan, the union minister Amit Shah clearly denied any such move.
Member of Parliament Rattan Lal Kataria asked whether the Government proposes to implement the cooperative policy in India on the lines of Israel and Japan. The Minister in his reply said “There is no such proposal for consideration at present.”
Kataria also asked if the government thinks the cooperative movement in Gujarat has been a successful experiment and whether the Government has announced the implementation of cooperative policies by certain Ministries.
Shah said many states in the country, including Gujarat, have successfully been implementing many cooperative-based programs. Amul, IFFCO, KRIBHCO, and NAFED are a few examples of successful experiments. The government intends to prioritize co-operatives in the policies of the Ministries and Departments of Government of India.”
In reply to the question of whether the Government sees cooperatives as an alternative to socialism and capitalism, the Minister noted “Cooperatives are catalysts for a country’s socio-economic progress and are instrumental in achieving the objective of inclusive growth.”
“These member-driven and democratically governed people’s institutions are based on the principles of self-help and mutual-aid which enable them to achieve the economic and social objectives of their own”, he added.
Meanwhile the newly formed Cooperation Ministry has launched itself developing a new national co-operative policy which could act as a catalyst for co-op movement in the country.
The ministry is also working on creating a reliable database on co-ops so that policies reflect the ground realities. Computerization of PACS is also on its agenda, said a Ministry official.
