The two-day National Conference on Cooperatives, organized by the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), New Delhi, began on Thursday with an inaugural session graced by Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, as the Chief Guest.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Bhutani emphasized the crucial role of cooperatives in fostering community-based development, inclusive growth, and equitable prosperity. He underlined how cooperatives have emerged as powerful institutions capable of bridging economic and social gaps at the grassroots level.
The conference also held detailed discussions on the campaign led by the Council for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD) to implement various schemes at the Gram Panchayat level through greater coordination between Panchayats and cooperative societies.
Prominent dignitaries, including Dileep Sanghani, Chairman, IFFCO, Siddharth Jain, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, and Amitabh Ranjan, Registrar, IIPA, were present on the occasion.
The event witnessed participation from academicians, representatives of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), NGOs, civil society organizations, technocrats, and experts from the cooperative sector.
The two-day conference aims to provide a platform for knowledge sharing, policy dialogue, and collaboration to further strengthen the cooperative movement across the country.
