Bhubaneswar: The Odisha State Cooperative Union, Bhubaneswar, under the direction of the Department of Cooperation, Government of Odisha, on Monday organised the inaugural celebration of the 5th Foundation Day of the Ministry of Cooperation, Government of India, at Cooperative Bhavan, Bhubaneswar. The event was held with grandeur and saw active participation from stakeholders in the cooperative sector.
Marking five years of the Ministry of Cooperation, a nationwide campaign has been launched from June 29 to July 6, 2026, to strengthen the cooperative movement, connect citizens with cooperative institutions, and highlight the achievements of the Ministry across the country. The campaign focuses on strengthening Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS), honouring farmers, promoting green cooperatives through plantation drives, encouraging participation of youth, students, and women, forming new cooperatives for the younger generation, and promoting the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and modern technology in cooperative institutions.
The inaugural ceremony was formally opened by Odisha Minister for Cooperation, Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts, Pradeep Bal Samanta, who hoisted the Cooperative Flag at Cooperative Bhavan before the commencement of a public meeting.
The Minister attended the programme as Chief Guest. Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Odisha, Manish Agrawal, was present as Guest of Honour, while Director of Agricultural Marketing and Member Secretary of the OSAM Board, K. Sudarshan Chakraborty, attended as a distinguished guest. The programme was presided over by Prabasini Sadangi, Chairperson of the Odisha State Cooperative Union.
Addressing the gathering, the Minister highlighted initiatives taken under the vision of “Sahkar Se Samriddhi” inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said the state government is working to expand cooperative institutions at the grassroots level, including setting up at least one agricultural, dairy, or fisheries cooperative in every Gram Panchayat. He also informed that existing PACS are being converted into Multi-Purpose PACS (M-PACS) and that the Odisha Cooperative Policy–2026 has been aligned with the National Cooperative Policy–2025.
Registrar Manish Agrawal spoke on making cooperative institutions financially sustainable and profit-oriented, while K. Sudarshan Chakraborty emphasised the need for infrastructure development to strengthen Odisha’s cooperative ecosystem.
Chairperson Prabasini Sadangi thanked the Department of Cooperation and senior officials for entrusting the Union with the responsibility of organising the inaugural programme.
On the occasion, the Minister and other dignitaries released a special edition of “Samabaya Samachar” and the Cooperative Circular Book published by the Odisha State Cooperative Union.
The programme witnessed the presence of senior officials of the Cooperation Department, members of various cooperative institutions, and stakeholders from across the state. The vote of thanks was proposed by Secretary Sunita Pati.
