Agri Min institutes co-operative award in name of RSS leader

Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh today decided to institute a national award in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mentor and RSS leader late Laxmanrao Inamdar to recognise the work of agri-cooperatives in the country.
Singh said the national cooperative award will be given every year to a primary agriculture cooperative society in every state, to one best district cooperative bank of five states and one state cooperative bank, the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement.
The Minister made this announcement at an event organised by Sahkar Bharati to celebrate birth centenary of its founder late Laxmanrao Inamdar, also a full-time worker of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

"...Efforts are being made to transform Sahkar Bharti into a wider network. Late Shri Laxmanrao Ji is a source of inspiration to the people associated with cooperatives," he said.
Most of Inamdar's time passed in Gujarat for the cause of RSS. He passed away in 1985 in Pune at the age of 67.
Talking about agri-cooperatives, Singh said India has initiated substantial and concrete measures for the revival of cooperatives so as to enable them face challenges emerging out of competitive global economy.

Keeping in view the paramount importance of cooperatives in rural economy, the government is committed to take them forward through various programmes, he noted.

The minister also shared that four additional development projects have been launched to bring women in cooperatives in four cooperative developed states -- Shimoga (Karnataka), Aska Berhamapur (Orissa), Imphal (Manipur) as well as Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh).
A sum of Rs 111 crore has been provided for cooperative education and training in 12th Five Year Plan, he added.