Sahakar Bharati senior leader Satish Marathe is visiting Sangli to pay tribute to the enduring legacy of the late Adv. Annasaheb Godbole, a pioneering figure in India’s cooperative movement.
Godbole, remembered as a visionary institution-builder, played a decisive role in the formation of Sahakar Bharati and served as its first President. His contribution laid the ideological and organisational foundation for what has now become one of the country’s most influential cooperative bodies. Marathe’s visit aims to honour these contributions and revisit the values that shaped the cooperative movement in its early years.
A leading lawyer and a veteran co-operator, Godbole’s imprint on Maharashtra’s cooperative sector is profound. He founded the Sangli Urban Cooperative Bank well before the Reserve Bank of India came into existence in 1935—a remarkable achievement that showcases his foresight and commitment to community-driven financial institutions.
Beyond banking, Godbole also established the Electricity Distribution Cooperative Society Ltd, which later merged with the Maharashtra State Electricity Board, marking another milestone in cooperative-led public utility development. His leadership extended across the wider sector, including serving on the Board of the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank Ltd alongside noted cooperative leader Vaikunthbhai Mehta.
Godbole’s public service also entered the legislative arena when he was elected to the Vidhan Parishad of the then undivided Bombay State, further underlining his influence in shaping policy and governance.
Marathe’s Sangli visit is expected to draw cooperative leaders, practitioners, and local citizens who continue to draw inspiration from Godbole’s work. The homage will highlight his pioneering contributions at a time when cooperatives were still in their formative stages and underline the relevance of his vision in contemporary cooperative development.
