Odisha to introduce new policy to strengthen cooperative movement

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government will introduce a new policy to strengthen the cooperative sector in the state.

The Cooperation Department today placed the State Cooperation Policy-2026 before the Odisha Cabinet for approval.

The new policy marks a major milestone in transforming the cooperative sector into a vibrant, technology driven, efficient and member-centric ecosystem aligned with the state government’s vision of inclusive growth.

The Union Cooperation Ministry had introduced the National Cooperation Policy in July last year to realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Sahkar Se Samriddhi’. The Ministry had advised all state governments to frame their own policies in line with the central policy.

Accordingly, the Cooperation Department of the state government prepared a draft policy document after consulting various stakeholders including cooperators, line departments, educationalists, cooperative institutions, sector experts, field-level functionaries and general public, said the state government.

The new policy to remain operational till 2036

The State Cooperation Policy-2026 aims to strengthen Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS), LAMPCS, Cooperative Banks, Cooperative Marketing and Processing Societies, dairy, tribal, handloom, fisheries and housing cooperatives to enhance service delivery and last-mile impact, it added.

The new policy is anchored on seven strategic pillars including strengthening the foundation of cooperatives, digital transformation, cooperative diversification, member empowerment, financial strengthening, professionalization of management, governance reforms and enhanced state support mechanisms.

The expected outcomes of the new policy include a robust cooperative network delivering reliable services, increased economic activity at the village level, improved credit flow, crop insurance coverage, marketing efficiency and value chain integration, and stronger institutional capacities and transparent cooperative functioning across the state.

“The State Cooperation Policy-2026 is expected to give Odisha’s cooperative movement a renewed direction and momentum, enabling it to emerge as a key driver of rural livelihood enhancement and economic empowerment. The new policy has been envisioned to be operational till 2036, said the government.