The Karimnagar District Cooperative Central Bank (KDCCB) conducted its annual meeting on January 27, 2025, to mark the launch of the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) 2025, emphasizing the role of cooperatives in building a better world.
KDCCB President and NAFSCOB Chairman Konduru Ravinder Rao expressed enthusiasm for the initiative, inspired by the official launch by Union Minister of Cooperatives and Home Affairs Amit Shah on January 24, 2025, in Mumbai, which he attended. Rao highlighted that Karimnagar is the first district in Telangana to organize such a meeting, aiming to promote and strengthen cooperative societies.
Addressing various stakeholders, including presidents of PACS, fisheries societies, milk societies, and handloom weavers’ cooperatives, Rao underscored that over 40 crore families in India are connected to cooperatives, with immense potential for further expansion. He expressed gratitude to the United Nations and the Government of India for prioritizing cooperatives and declaring IYC 2025.
He noted that well before this declaration, India established the Ministry of Cooperation in 2021, headed by Amit Shah, marking a historic step. Model bye-laws for PACS have been framed and accepted across all states, reinforcing cooperative federalism enshrined in the Constitution.
He stated that efforts are underway to expand the network of cooperatives across villages and semi-urban centers, strengthen Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), milk societies, fisheries societies, procurement and marketing societies, and promote integration among cooperatives. The Ministry of Cooperatives has formed expert committees to work on policies and implementation strategies to strengthen the cooperative sector.
Rao reiterated the government’s commitment to “Sahakar Se Samrudhi & Samrudhi Se Vikasit Bharat” (Prosperity through Cooperation for a Developed India). He urged members to enroll more people into cooperatives over the next 12 months to ensure no eligible individual is left out.
He emphasized the need for financial literacy programs, customer meetings, and member education initiatives to raise awareness about the significance of cooperatives.
With Karimnagar DCCB and its affiliated societies delivering outstanding performance over the past decade, Rao expressed confidence that stakeholders would embrace and advance these initiatives to benefit the people. He concluded by calling for collective efforts toward achieving the goal of building a better world through cooperatives.
