Cooperatives: Digital Tools for Effective Governance

New Delhi, Oct 9 (PTI) Cooperation Secretary Ashish Kumar Bhutani has emphasised on the use of digital tools and data driven insights for effective governance of co-operatives in the country.

According to an official statement on Thursday, a two-day National-Level Workshop and Review Meeting on Strengthening the Cooperative Sector was held in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.

The workshop, organised by the Ministry of Cooperation, brought together representatives from state/UTs governments, secretaries, registrars of cooperative societies (RCS) along with key stakeholders from the sector.

In his keynote address, Bhutani highlighted that cooperatives have now diversified beyond traditional sectors such as agriculture and credit. They are into areas like healthcare, services, and value-chain integration.

He emphasised the ministry's commitment to "blending technological advancement with institutional and human capacity development, ensuring cooperatives remain people-centric and future-ready".

The secretary emphasised the role of PACS and multi-state cooperatives as catalysts for rural development, Atmanirbharta, and digital transformation.

He also stressed on leveraging digital tools and data-driven insights for effective governance of cooperatives.

Bhutani further stated that states should work on the theme of 'Reform, Perform, Transform, and Inform' for strengthening the cooperative sector.