Under the leadership of PM Modi, the vision of taking cooperatives to every household is becoming a reality: CM Sai

Raipur, 11 June

Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai today attended the assumption of charge and felicitation ceremony of the newly appointed Authorized Officer of Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Bank (Apex Bank), Shri Kedarnath Gupta, held at the Balbir Singh Juneja Indoor Stadium in Raipur. On this occasion, the Chief Minister also virtually inaugurated a new branch of the Apex Bank in Farsabahar, Jashpur district, and extended congratulations to the local residents.

CM Shri Sai said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Union Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah, the vision of prosperity through cooperation is being realized. Inspired by their leadership, the state government is working to connect every household with the cooperative movement. He expressed confidence that the cooperative sector in the state will be further strengthened under the leadership of the newly appointed authorized officer.

The Chief Minister highlighted that to promote cooperative activities, the state is working with the National Dairy Development Board to boost milk production. He mentioned the recent launch of a dairy animal distribution initiative, under which beneficiaries in six districts are receiving two milch cows each as part of a pilot project.

CM Shri Sai emphasized a major initiative to provide banking services to farmers and rural residents. Beginning on Panchayati Raj Day this year, Aatal Digital Seva Kendras have been set up in 1,460 gram panchayats across the state, offering banking services directly from the panchayat buildings. He assured that by the next Panchayati Raj Day, this service will be available in all gram panchayats, significantly benefiting farmers.

He also acknowledged the transformative reforms brought to the cooperative sector during the tenure of former Chief Minister and current Speaker Dr. Raman Singh. Shri Sai noted that Dr. Singh had relieved farmers from high interest rates on short-term loans and continued to reduce these rates, ultimately enabling interest-free loans for agricultural purposes. He congratulated the residents of Farsabahar on the opening of the new Apex Bank branch, stating that now farmers will no longer need to travel 50–60 kilometers to Pathalgaon for banking services. He thanked the Cooperative Department for this noble initiative.

Speaker Dr. Raman Singh, in his address, fondly remembered the pioneers of the cooperative movement in Chhattisgarh, such as Shri Vamanrao Lakhe and Thakur Pyarelal, who laid its foundation. He highlighted that this year marks the International Year of Cooperatives, and due to the efforts of Union Minister Shri Amit Shah, the sector is witnessing remarkable progress. Dr. Singh praised CM Shri Sai for his tireless efforts in bringing prosperity to farmers, noting that Chhattisgarh is the first state in India to procure paddy at 21 quintals per acre and at a rate of ₹3,100 per quintal. He added that the Chief Minister has extended the reach of cooperatives to the remotest villages of the state.

He mentioned that Apex Bank is now the most powerful organization in the state with a turnover of ₹40,000 crore, and it has disbursed ₹7,500 crore in loans to farmers so far.

Dr. Singh further noted that due to the initiatives of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, every citizen in the country has been brought into the banking system, ensuring that 100% of the funds now go directly into the beneficiaries’ accounts without intermediaries. He called for expediting efforts to link 100% of farmers with cooperatives and Apex Bank, as there remains vast untapped potential in this sector.

Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited donates ₹2.25 crore to Satya Sai Hospital in the presence of Chief Minister

During the program, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited handed over a cheque of ₹2.25 crore to Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Heart Hospital in Raipur as part of its CSR activities, in the presence of CM Shri Vishnu Deo Sai. The Chief Minister expressed his gratitude to the representatives of the company for this noble gesture.

The event was also attended by Cooperation Minister Shri Kedar Kashyap, Agriculture Minister Shri Ramvichar Netam, Revenue Minister Shri Tankram Verma, Food Minister Shri Dayaldas Baghel, and several MLAs including Shri Rajesh Munat, Shri Anuj Sharma, Shri Motilal Sahu, Shri Purandar Mishra, Guru Khushwant Saheb, Shri Sunil Soni, along with heads of various corporations and boards, Additional Chief Secretary (Cooperation) Shri Subrat Sahu, and a large number of dignitaries.