Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Monday, 7 July 2025, announced a sweeping package of cooperative infrastructure and environmental initiatives for Rajasthan, covering the foundation stone laying of 10 new grain storage warehouses, the inauguration of 50 completed warehouses, the transfer of 100 warehouses to the Rajasthan State Warehousing Corporation, and the launch of the 'Sahkar Van' afforestation project in Jaipur. The announcements were made at the fifth Foundation Day celebration of the Ministry of Cooperation, held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

Key Announcements at Bharat Mandapam

Shah virtually laid the foundation stone for 10 new grain storage warehouses and inaugurated 50 already-completed facilities across Rajasthan. He also formally handed over 100 warehouses to the Rajasthan State Warehousing Corporation, a transfer expected to significantly bolster the state's agricultural storage and supply chain capacity.

Separately, Shah performed the e-Bhoomi Pujan for the 'Sahkar Van' project, which will be developed across 64 acres at Sumel village in Jaipur district. The project will feature indigenous tree species — including Khejri, Rohida, and Neem — planted through both Miyawaki and conventional methods, integrating ecological conservation with the cooperative movement and encouraging community participation in afforestation.

Rajasthan's Dairy Cooperative Growth

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, speaking at the event, said the state's cooperative sector has become a key driver of women's empowerment and rural economic growth. The Rajasthan Cooperative Dairy Federation (RCDF) and district milk unions now count 9.40 lakh milk-producing members, of whom more than 4.20 lakh are women.

Sharma noted that daily milk procurement in Rajasthan has risen from 38 lakh litres to 45 lakh litres, while dairy cooperative membership has registered an unprecedented 70 per cent increase, reflecting rapid sectoral expansion. Thousands of new milk collection centres have been established and new milk producer cooperative societies formed during this period.

e-PACS Modernisation: A National Benchmark

Chief Minister Sharma highlighted Rajasthan's progress in computerising Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS). In the first phase, 5,646 PACS have been converted into e-PACS by integrating modern technology into their operations. The state's e-PACS network has recorded more than 10 crore online transactions — accounting for nearly one-third of all such transactions nationally, the highest by any state in India.

Additionally, around 4,875 PACS in Rajasthan are now engaged in three or more business activities, demonstrating successful diversification of the state's cooperative institutions.

Broader Significance

The initiatives collectively underscore the Centre's push to position the cooperative movement as a structural pillar of agricultural growth, rural prosperity, and sustainable development. This is the fifth Foundation Day of the Ministry of Cooperation — a ministry created in 2021 to give dedicated policy focus to India's vast cooperative network. Notably, Rajasthan's e-PACS performance positions it as a model for other states still in early digitisation phases.

The next phase of PACS computerisation and further Sahkar Van expansions are expected to be detailed in the coming months.