New Delhi: In Odisha, the expansion of Co-operative Sector has resulted in the registration of 2,039 new multipurpose societies, including 1,537 PACS, 451 dairy, and 51 fisheries cooperatives.
Specifically, in the Puri district, 59 new societies have been established. While the government clarified that there is no district-specific program exclusive to Puri, the district stands to benefit from the Comprehensive National Plan and the roadmap laid out in the National Cooperative Policy, 2025.
Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Rajeev Ranjan Singh, informed the Rajya Sabha that the government has made significant strides in its nationwide plan to strengthen the cooperative movement at the grassroots level. Since the approval of the plan in February 2023, a total of 30,083 new Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), dairy, and fisheries cooperatives have been registered across the country as of November 15, 2025.
The initiative aims to establish multipurpose cooperative societies in every uncovered Panchayat and village over a five-year period. This is being achieved through the convergence of various existing schemes such as the Dairy Infrastructure Development Fund, the National Programme for Dairy Development, and the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana. The minister noted that 15,793 existing dairy and fisheries societies have also been strengthened under this framework.
Current data indicates that 255,881 Gram Panchayats are now covered by PACS, while 87,159 and 29,964 Panchayats are served by dairy and fisheries societies, respectively. The program is being implemented with support from major national bodies including NABARD, NCDC, and the National Dairy Development Board, in coordination with state governments.
I