Union Home Minister Amit Shah urged farmers to connect with the National Organic Cooperative Limited (NOCL) on Sunday to increase their incomes through organic farming. He assured them they could expect to receive at least a 30 per cent profit from their organic products within two to three years.
“More than 70 per cent of farmers in Tripura produce organic products, but they lack certification. I encourage you, the farmers, to connect with NOCL. I assure you that you will achieve a minimum profit of 30 per cent for your products through NOCL within the next two to three years,” Shah said at the cooperative conference held this evening at Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhawan.
He stated that three organisations were established: one to provide quality seeds, one for marketing, and the last for connecting farmers’ products to the global market.
“Over 35 cooperative societies of Tripura applied for memberships in these three societies. Currently, 3,138 different cooperatives – diary, fish cultivation, multipurpose, poultry and animal farming are working here,” he said.
He mentioned that the mobile Gramin Mart, introduced through NABARD, aims to provide rice, dal, and wheat under the Bharat brand at low costs in five districts, making these essential items available to many people.
He criticised the former Left Front government for introducing cooperatives that ultimately failed, saying they were used primarily for admitting party cadres. He also criticised the CPI(M), stating that the previous government prioritised party cadres.
“Earlier, the per capita income was Rs 98,000, but it has now increased to Rs 1.77 lakh. I want to inform the communists that Tripura’s per capita income has surpassed Bengal’s. This is an example of good governance,” he stated. He also assured the people of the state that he aims to make Tripura a “developed Tripura” before visiting the state ahead of the next election.
“You gave mandates to BJP twice. We shall come in the next poll. Before that, I assure you that we will run the development vehicle on the platform to make it visit Tripura”, he said. He also said he would visit the state with records of the achievements made in the BJP regime’s 10 years compared with the 35 years of Marxist rule.
Emphasising cooperatives, the Shah said, “In this process, the participation of 140 crore Indians is needed. Prosperity should reach every family; happiness should reach every individual, and education and health should reach every individual. If this is to be done, then we have no other solution other than cooperatives.”
Regarding PM Modi’s ‘Anna Bhandaran Yojana’, which is the world’s largest grain storage scheme, Shah announced that a godown with a storage capacity of 2,000 metric tonnes would be established in Tripura based on a cooperative model.
In the programme, the Tripura State Cooperative Bank distributed micro ATMs to 50 primary cooperative societies and launched a cooperative petrol pump and a smart training centre virtually, among other initiatives.
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