Amit Shah pushes for ethanol production, cooperative expansion in Chhattisgarh

New Delhi, Aug 25 (PTI) Union Home and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Sunday laid out a comprehensive plan to boost the cooperative sector in Chhattisgarh, focusing on ethanol production, maize cultivation, and expansion of cooperative societies.

Chairing a review meeting in Raipur, Shah emphasised the need for contracts between NCCF, NAFED, and the state government to promote maize cultivation, an official statement said.

“The central government will purchase all maize from farmers at Minimum Support Price,” Shah said, noting the crop’s low cultivation cost.

The minister called for complete registration of Primary Agriculture Credit Societies (PACS) on NAFED and NCCF portals for agricultural produce sales.

Shah proposed mandatory accounts for traders, PACS, and cooperative societies in District Cooperative Central Banks.

On ethanol production, he said, “Multi-feed ethanol production plants should be set up in the remaining three cooperative sugar mills within six months,” assuring central government support.

The Union minister launched PACS as water committees in 33 districts and urged the state to develop a new public dairy scheme focusing on tribal development.

“PACS should function as multi-purpose units, catering to dairy and fisheries cooperatives as well,” he added.

Shah stressed the government’s commitment to cooperative expansion, saying, “A cooperative society is being formed in every panchayat to realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of ‘Sahkar Se Samriddhi’ (prosperity through cooperation).”

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao, and other officials attended the event.

As part of the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, Shah planted saplings and inaugurated various state development projects.

He urged the use of the National Cooperative Database to identify dry areas in Chhattisgarh for cooperative expansion and called for transforming every PACS into a common service centre through computerisation.

Shah noted that all 2,058 PACS in Chhattisgarh have adopted model bye-laws.

He also emphasised on the need to promote maize and pulse cultivation in the state, calling for initiative from the state agriculture department.