The Modi Government announced the creation of a new Ministry of Cooperation on Tuesday. The ministry will provide a separate administrative, legal and policy framework for strengthening the cooperative movement in the country, a government statement said.
Soon after taking charge, the government had created the Jal Shakti ministry. However, it was not altogether new like the Ministry of Cooperation. It was created by integrating two existing ministries dealing with water — Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, and Drinking Water & Sanitation ministry.
The ministry, the statement added, has been created by the Modi government for realising the vision of ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’ (Prosperity through cooperatives).It will work to streamline processes for ease of doing business for cooperatives and enable the development of multi-state cooperatives.
The government is likely to name a minister for the new ministry today when names of new inductees to the Modi cabinet are likely to be announced, sources said. The first reshuffle after the PM Modi-led NDA government started its second term in office two years ago is likely to be massive and could see over a dozen new faces being appointed as ministers, government sources said.
According to the government statement, the new ministry will help deepen cooperatives as a true people-based movement reaching upto the grassroots, the government statement said. The central government, the statement added, has signaled its deep commitment to community-based developmental partnership. “Creation of a separate Ministry for Cooperation also fulfils the budget announcement made by the Finance Minister,” the statement said.
