Kollam: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah declared on Friday that empowering women through cooperative networks remains a core pillar of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rural development and economic vision.

Speaking at Kundara in Kollam district after launching multiple national initiatives under the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Limited (NCCF), Shah pointed out that the creation of a dedicated Union Ministry of Cooperation fulfilled a long-standing demand raised since Independence.

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Opening his address, Shah noted that this marked his maiden visit to the state since Parliament passed the legislation officially renaming Kerala to Keralam.
 

Focus on women's economic progress

Emphasising the underlying philosophy of the 'Sahkar Se Samriddhi' (Prosperity through Cooperation) framework, Shah stated that family prosperity is directly linked to the economic independence of female household members. He asserted that if the woman of a house becomes prosperous, the entire family prospers, adding that the framework is essentially designed for the rural and working-class women of the nation.

Highlighting policy milestones achieved over the past decade under the NDA government, Shah noted that female representation in the workforce expanded from 23 per cent in 2014–15 to 40 per cent. He added that bank accounts have been opened for approximately 36 crore women, over 11,000 female officers are currently serving in the Indian Armed Forces, and paid maternity leave was increased to 26 weeks. Furthermore, the initial target of creating three crore ‘Lakhpati Didis’ -self-help group members earning over ₹1 lakh annually – was surpassed prior to 2024, prompting the government to raise the target to six crore by 2029. Shah also noted that around 8 lakh female farmers are affiliated with NAFED, alongside 6 lakh connected through NCCF.
 

Outreach to state leadership and blue economy push

Acknowledging Keralam’s robust institutional framework, which comprises over 23,000 active cooperative societies, Shah invited Keralam Cooperation Minister M Liju to visit New Delhi to explore central support for dairy, organic farming and maritime ventures.

Shah specifically highlighted the commercial potential of Kerala's coastline and backwaters, outlining Central plans for deep-sea fishing trawlers, processing, packaging, branding and export assistance.

Responding to the address, Minister M Liju noted that the cooperative sector constitutes the backbone of the state’s economy, contributing nearly 18 per cent to Kerala’s GDP through 13,000 operational bodies. Liju urged the Centre to adopt flexible, state-specific policies while outlining ongoing reforms targeting digital transparency and governance across 450 institutions currently facing liquidity stress.

During the event, Union Minister Suresh Gopi brought up the Karuvannur Service Cooperative Bank fraud in Thrissur, requesting Central parliamentary intervention to aid affected depositors whose assets remain impacted despite Enforcement Directorate attachments. The event was attended by state officials and leaders, including Tourism Minister P C Vishnunadh, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Kollam MP N K Premachandran.

PTI