The Narendra Modi government has created a new Ministry of Cooperation with an aim to strengthen the cooperative movement in the country.
The move came ahead of a massive cabinet reshuffle exercise expected on Wednesday. The statement issued by the Cabinet Secretariat said the new ministry has been created for realising the vision of 'sahkar se samriddhi' (through cooperation to prosperity).
Terming it a "historic move", the government said the ministry will provide a separate administrative, legal and policy framework for strengthening the cooperative movement in the country.
The official statement said the ministry will help deepen cooperatives as a true people-based movement reaching up to the grassroots.