Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Monday, 7 July 2025, launched the 'Sahkar Van' (Cooperative Forest) project for Sumel village in Jaipur during the 5th Foundation Day ceremony of the Ministry of Cooperation, held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The initiative aims to embed environmental conservation within the cooperative movement, linking ecological goals with community participation.

What Sahkar Van Involves

The Sahkar Van project is designed to promote afforestation and environmental sustainability through the cooperative framework, making Sumel village a model for integrating green initiatives with cooperative development. The project reflects the government's stated commitment to aligning ecological responsibility with rural economic empowerment.

This comes amid a broader push by the Ministry of Cooperation — established under Prime Minister Narendra Modi — to reframe the cooperative sector as a vehicle for inclusive rural growth, employment generation, and farmers' prosperity.

Rajasthan CM's Address and State Recognition

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma was notably the only state chief minister to attend the national event, where Rajasthan's cooperative achievements received formal recognition on a national platform. Addressing the gathering, Sharma highlighted the state's administrative reforms and innovations in the cooperative sector, stating that the 'Sahkar Se Samriddhi' (Prosperity through Cooperation) vision is being translated into tangible outcomes.

Sharma credited the 'double-engine government' — referring to aligned BJP administrations at the Centre and in Rajasthan — for accelerating cooperative sector transformation. He also welcomed Shah with a bouquet, calling Shah's direction to rural and economic development through cooperatives 'inspiring.'

Key Developments at the Ceremony

The 5th Foundation Day event at Bharat Mandapam drew senior Union government officials, representatives of cooperative institutions from across India, and other dignitaries. Rajasthan's cooperative initiatives were showcased as a model, with the state's efforts to strengthen cooperative institutions and expand their reach highlighted before the national audience.

The Chief Minister said improved governance, greater transparency, and wider outreach have enabled Rajasthan's cooperative institutions to contribute more effectively to the state's socio-economic development.

Broader Context and What's Next

The Ministry of Cooperation, created as a standalone ministry in 2021 — the first such dedicated ministry in independent India — has been actively pushing cooperative-sector reforms across states. The Sahkar Van launch signals an expansion of the ministry's mandate beyond agriculture and credit cooperatives into environmental sustainability.

With Rajasthan positioned as a frontrunner in cooperative innovation, similar green cooperative models could be replicated in other states, according to officials present at the event.