Pravin Darekar, Chairman of the Maharashtra Housing Cluster / Self-Redevelopment Authority, has underscored the need for stronger collaboration across the cooperative sector in the state.
Highlighting the scale of the ecosystem, Darekar noted that Maharashtra has around 10–12 thousand housing societies and over 2.5 lakh cooperative institutions, each facing distinct challenges. He stressed that these issues must be systematically raised with the government to ensure timely solutions.
The state’s cooperative network spans credit societies, consumer bodies, sugar mills, labour cooperatives, state cooperative banks, and federations.
Darekar reaffirmed the commitment to strengthen outreach through 33 district cooperative boards and 13 training centres under the State Cooperative Union.
Emphasizing the principle of “mutual assistance,” he said the sector’s real strength lies in collective growth rather than individual success. He also urged stakeholders to actively support the movement through contributions, subscriptions, and awareness efforts, while leveraging central government policies and promoting inter-cooperative engagement.
