The Gujarat Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, has granted in-principle approval for the formation of nine new District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs) in the state. Announcing the decision, Cabinet Spokesperson and Minister Jitubhai Vaghani said the move aims to strengthen the cooperative banking system and improve access to institutional credit for farmers and rural citizens.
The decision aligns with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of expanding the reach of cooperative institutions across all districts. Under the leadership of Union Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah, the Ministry of Cooperation has launched a special initiative to reinforce rural cooperative banking. As part of this initiative, NABARD submitted an approach note proposing the establishment of new DCCBs in select districts, including nine districts in Gujarat.
The new banks will be formed through the reorganisation of existing district cooperative banks. Accordingly, Dahod will be carved out of Panchmahal DCCB, Aravalli from Sabarkantha DCCB, Tapi from Surat DCCB, Chhota Udepur from Vadodara DCCB, Devbhoomi Dwarka from Jamnagar DCCB, Porbandar from Junagadh DCCB, Anand from Kheda DCCB, and Dang and Navsari from Valsad DCCB.
The state government will now submit a proposal to the Reserve Bank of India through NABARD and initiate the necessary legal procedures. The move is expected to ease credit availability for farmers and boost the rural economy.
