Surat: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various schemes of Sumul Dairy in Surat, Gujarat today. Many dignitaries including Union Minister Smt.DarshanaJardosh and Gujarat Chief Minister ShriBhupendra Patel were present on the occasion.

In his address on the occasion, the Union Home and Cooperation Minister said today a historic cooperation conference has been organized in TapiDistrict of South Gujarat. The presence and enthusiasm of a large number of people in this conference is a testament to how strong the cooperative structure is in Gujarat.

Shri Amit Shah said that this is the year of AmritMahotsav of the country’s Independence. 75 years have passed since India’s Independence and the 75th year of Independence is very important for any country. The Prime Minister, Shri NarendraModi has tried to view everything from a new perspective.There is an attempt to celebrate the year of the AmritMahotsav of Independence as the year of making a resolve for the nation. He said that it is the year to make a resolvein every region of the country on where the country will be after 100 years of Independence.The Prime Minister has called upon 130 crore people to celebrate the year of AmritMahotsav of Independence as the year of making a resolution.Shri Shah said that the Prime Minister has tried to keep India at the forefront of the world in every field, whether it is about protecting the country or giving impetus to the country’s economy. Whether it is to bring radical change through a new education policy, to make small businesses of the country prosper, to make self-help groups and every citizen prosperous, or to establish the youth of the country on the world stage. Our goal is to strengthen the cooperative movement for workers of all cooperatives and make it the strongest cooperative movement in the world in the 100th year of Independence.

The Union Cooperation Minister said that the journey of Sumul, which started 71 years ago, beganwith 200 litres to 20 lakh litres today, in which milk producing tribal men and women have greatly contributed. Today, due to the hard work and dedication of tribal women, milk worth Rs. 7 crore is sold daily and arrangements have been made to transfer Rs. 7 crore directly to the bank accounts of 2.5 lakh members.Who can imagine that every day money is deposited in the bank account of a tribal women who cultivates one to two acres of land. This is the miracle of the cooperative principle, the miracle of the cooperative movement. It is a miracle of a cooperative system that has been created in Gujarat and under the aegis of Amul, by the effort and might of Shri Tribhuvan Patel.

Shri Amit Shah said that in the 75th year of independence of the country, Prime Minister NarendraModi has established the Ministry of Cooperation. The Prime Minister had said in 2014 that 2022 would be the 75th anniversary of Independence and we have to move forward with the goal of doubling farmers’ income by 2022. Today I am proud to say that the Prime Minister has done a lot in that direction.To make agriculture self-reliant, the government led by the Prime Minister, Shri NarendraModisends Rs. 6,000 directly to the bank accounts of 13 crore farmers every year from Delhi and is trying to make farmers self-reliant. The Ministry of Cooperation has set up several primary agricultural societies, milk producers unions, APMCs, fishermen’s brothers’ unions, trade unions, small industrial unions working in the cooperative sector. Shri NarendraModi has worked to strengthen the cooperative movement by establishing the Ministry of Cooperation.To the men and women associated with the cooperative movement and to all the people sitting here, I want to say that Shri Modihas decided to form the Ministry of Cooperation, so let us thank him with thunderous applause.

The Union Home and Cooperation Minister said the people of Gujarat have seen the miracle of cooperation. Sardar Patel, Tribhuvan Bhai, Bhai Kaka, Vaikunthbhai Mehta laid the foundation of a strong cooperative movement in Gujarat and today Amul stands on that foundation. Amul’s brand has become a global brand with a turnover of Rs. 53,000 crore, which reflects the strength of the cooperative movement. He said that the farmers of South Gujarat have prospered and cooperative sugar mills running through the cooperative movement have contributed greatly to this.Today I can proudly say that the best system of sugar mills in the country are in Gujarat. He said that Prime Minister Modi has provided many facilities in the budget for the cooperative sector. People associated with sugar mills were fighting for 40 years to solve problems related to Income Tax and liability of Rs. 8,000 crore, which was immediately ended by Prime Minister.He brought all co-operative production institutions at par with Corporate Tax. The NarendraModi government is working to provide software to all primary agricultural societies in the coming days. With a budget of more than Rs. 900 crore, the NarendraModi government has set up the Cooperation Department for basic facilities. I can say with full confidence that Prime Minister NarendraModi has a dream of a US $ 5 trillion economy and the cooperative sector will contribute the most in the coming days. When the contribution of the cooperative sector increases, the contribution of the corporate sector increases, then lakhs and crore of people benefit. If Sumul is prosperous then 2.5 lakh people will benefit and if a private dairy is strong then only five people will benefit. If the cooperative sector is strong, then the poor man will be strong, the farmer will be strong, the country’s pastoralist women will be strong.

Shri Amit Shah said that Sumul has started a fight to end malnutrition in 11 districts and this is being done in the spirit of cooperatives. You have set a vivid example of the cooperative spirit by freeing children and girls from malnutrition in about 20,000 Anganwadis.

The cooperative movement, self-reliant farming, self-reliant villages and self-reliant states and self-reliant India – are moving forward with this mantra. He said ShriModi has laid great emphasis on natural farming, because the fertility of the soil is decreasing due to the use of chemical fertilizers. Natural farming will not only improve land fertility, people’s health will also improve and will not be affected by diseases like cancer, blood pressure, diabetes.Today, when you are present in such a large number, I would definitely say that natural farming should be our goal. To increase the income of farmers engaged in natural farming, the responsibility is also of the Ministry of Cooperation and the Central Government led by Shri Modi and the Government of Gujarat. Under the aegis of Amul, a mechanism has been started to make the product of organic farming receive a good price.Product credibility, scientific testing, quality, certification, selling our goods in the world market for marketing – all this has to be done, then a complete scientific structure and chain will have to be made and for this Amul has come forward. This structure will be created within a year and through this it will be ensured that farmers engaged in natural farming will receive good prices for their products.

The Union Home Minister said that he wished to appeal to the farmers of Gujarat that they should study natural farming, know it, accept it and apply it in their fields. Run this campaign in the year of the AmritMahotsav of Independence, with this we will not only protect the Earth and the environment, but will also increase the prosperity of farmers and with this we also have the responsibility of improving the health of 130 crore people. We will be fully successful in providing chemical free food grains, chemical free food, chemical free fruits, chemical free vegetables to the people. I am sure that Shri Modi’s dream of a prosperous and healthy India will come true. DeshGujarat