Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah chaired a key review meeting in New Delhi on June 2, 2025, to assess the progress of the world’s largest cooperative food grain storage scheme. The meeting saw participation from top officials of the Ministry of Cooperation, Food Corporation of India (FCI), NABARD, NAFED, NCCF, NCDC, and other major institutions.
Amit Shah said this transformative scheme is aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Sahkar Se Samriddhi,” aiming to boost rural employment and strengthen India’s GDP. He noted that the initiative will not only improve the financial health of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) but also open new avenues of income for them.
The creation of a strong cooperative supply chain through this scheme is expected to uplift rural economies and make India more self-reliant.
He stressed that active and widespread participation of PACS is crucial. Shah directed the Ministry of Food and Public Distribution and FCI to conduct national-level mapping of warehouses so that storage infrastructure can be linked to local needs.
He also urged that PACS be connected to as many warehouses as possible through FCI, NCCF, NAFED, and State Warehousing Corporations. Expanding loan facilities under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) was highlighted as a necessary step to help PACS improve their financial condition.
States were asked to ensure maximum involvement of PACS and to include State Level Marketing Federations in the initiative. This integrated approach would help develop a complete cooperative supply chain, from storage to market.
Amit Shah called for timely and well-coordinated implementation of the scheme, stressing that it will play a crucial role in realizing the goals of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and economic empowerment through cooperation.
