Bhubaneswar: Cooperatives are instrumental not only to economic growth but also to driving social transformation, said Cooperation Minister Pradeep Bal Samanta while attending the state-level Cooperative Flag Hoisting Ceremony at Cooperative Bhawan today. The event was organised as part of the 72nd All India Cooperative Week-2025 being observed from November 14 to 20.
Speaking as the chief guest, Minister Samanta emphasized the need to strengthen cooperative institutions and transform them into one-stop service hubs capable of addressing the diverse needs of rural Odisha. “Cooperatives must evolve to meet the aspirations of rural communities and contribute meaningfully to economic progress,” he said.
Bhubaneswar (Ekamra) MLA Babu Singh, who attended as the guest of honour, highlighted the vast potential of the cooperative sector to act as the “engine of a prosperous Odisha.” He urged stakeholders to work more effectively at the grassroots level to expand the sector’s impact.
This year’s theme for the All India Cooperative Week is “Cooperatives: A Means for Self-Reliant India.”
Addressing the gathering, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Cooperation Department, Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, outlined various initiatives undertaken by the state government to make Odisha’s cooperative ecosystem more self-reliant and responsive.
The meeting was chaired by Prabasini Sarangi, President of the State Cooperative Union, while Secretary Brahmananda Parida presented the secretary’s report. Winners of various competitions organised during Cooperative Week were also felicitated on the occasion.
The 72nd Cooperative Week is being jointly observed by the Cooperation Department of the state government and the State Cooperative Union, with a series of programmes planned across Odisha.
