BHUBANESWAR | June 29, 2026
Under the direction of the Department of Cooperation, Government of Odisha, the Odisha State Cooperative Union organized the grand inaugural celebration of the 5th Foundation Day of the Ministry of Cooperation, Government of India, today at the Cooperative Bhavan premises in Bhubaneswar. The high-profile event marks five years since the establishment of the central ministry and launches a week-long, nationwide awareness campaign running from June 29 to July 6, 2026, aimed at deeply connecting citizens with the cooperative movement.
The campaign’s core objectives include strengthening Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS), honoring local farmers and promoting Green Cooperatives through massive tree plantation drives. It also focuses heavily on fostering greater participation of students, youth and women, establishing new cooperative bodies for the younger generation and accelerating the deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and modern technology across cooperative institutions.
The celebration commenced with the hoisting of the Cooperative Flag at the venue by Chief Guest Shri Pradeep Bal Samanta, Hon’ble Minister for Cooperation, Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts, Government of Odisha, followed by a high-level public meeting. The session was presided over by Smt. Prabasini Sadangi, Chairperson of the Odisha State Cooperative Union. Other key dignitaries included Guest of Honour Shri Manish Agrawal, IAS, Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Odisha and Shri K. Sudarshan Chakraborty, IAS, Director of Agricultural Marketing and Member Secretary of the OSAM Board.
Addressing the gathering, Minister Shri Pradeep Bal Samanta stated that, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Sahkar Se Samriddhi” (Prosperity through Cooperation), the state government is rapidly expanding the cooperative framework. He announced that the process of establishing at least one Agricultural Credit, Dairy, or Fisheries Cooperative Society in every single Gram Panchayat across Odisha is currently underway. Furthermore, existing PACS are being structurally transformed into Multi-Purpose PACS (M-PACS) to diversify into new business lines. The Minister also revealed that the landmark Odisha Cooperative Policy–2026 has been prepared in alignment with the National Cooperative Policy–2025.
During the event, Shri Manish Agrawal outlined strategic paths to make cooperative institutions more profitable and self-sustainable. Highlighting infrastructure as the backbone of this transformation, Shri K. Sudarshan Chakraborty noted that the department has prioritized infrastructure development over the last two years to build a highly vibrant cooperative ecosystem. Smt. Prabasini Sadangi extended her gratitude to the state administration for choosing the Union to anchor the milestone event. To commemorate the occasion, the dignitaries formally released a special edition of the journal “Samabaya Samachar” and a freshly compiled Cooperative Circular Book.
The smooth execution of the program was supervised by the Union’s Managing Committee members, including Shri Ranjan Kumar Das, Smt. Sunita Pati (Secretary), and Shri Brahmananda Parida (OSD). The convention also drew a large delegation of senior bureaucrats, including Smt. Usharani Das, Special Secretary; Smt. Bishnupriya Sahu, Additional Secretary; Shri Surendra Kumar Sahu, Additional Secretary-cum-Financial Adviser; alongside Additional Registrars and hundreds of cooperative professionals from across the state. The event concluded successfully with an official vote of thanks delivered by Smt. Sunita Pati.
