9th National Review Workshop Held in Bastar to Strengthen Cooperative Sector and 'Sahkar se Samriddhi' Vision

The Ministry of Cooperation is organizing the 9th National Review Workshop on October 8 and 9, 2026, in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, under the theme 'Sahkar se Samriddhi — The Way Forward: From Cooperative Transformation to Broad Impact.' The primary objective of this workshop is to review the progress of key initiatives currently underway in the cooperative sector, share successful experiences from various states, and prepare a result-oriented action plan for the next three months.

During the inaugural session, Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Secretary of the Ministry of Cooperation, stated that Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah himself suggested organizing this workshop in the Bastar district, as the region has long been affected by left-wing extremism. Dr. Bhutani called for the strengthening of democratic systems, transparency, accountability, and effective good governance within cooperative institutions.

Discussing cooperative banking, the Secretary emphasized that while the autonomy of cooperative banks is important, their accountability and effective monitoring are absolutely essential. He urged the registrars of cooperatives in the states to play a more active role in this regard to maintain the credibility of the entire cooperative sector. He also informed that the ministry is coordinating with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to increase the resource-mobilization capacity of cooperative banks, ensuring that farmers receive financial assistance at concessional rates.

Regarding financial resources, Dr. Bhutani explained that following recent amendments to the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) Act, financial assistance can now be extended to entities that are not cooperative institutions themselves but promote cooperative development. Additionally, a proposal to develop a shared digital platform for the marketing of cooperative products was discussed, with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) offering its cooperation.

The workshop placed special focus on Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), dairy cooperatives, digitalization, and business diversification. Deliberations were held on developing strong value chains in exports, organic products, and the seed sector through national cooperative institutions such as NCEL, NCOL, and BBSSL.

Welcoming the participants, the Chief Secretary of Chhattisgarh, Shri Vikas Sheel, assured the full cooperation of the state government for the development of the cooperative sector. The first day of the workshop included a review of major achievements, such as the formation of multipurpose PACS, computerization, and the world's largest food grain storage scheme.