As the festive season starts with Navratri on Monday, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has appealed to the people of the state to buy only indigenous goods, in line with the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign of the Central Government.
Addressing an event of cooperative institutions of Amreli district, Patel said on Sunday, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has resolved to make India developed by 2047 with the cooperation of all. And to achieve this resolve, the PM has given a call of Atmanirbhar Bharat to the citizens of the country. He (PM Modi) has expressed the pledge of Atmanirbhar Bharat. He said yesterday, ‘whether it is chip or ship, it has to be manufactured in India’. It is the need of the hour that for Atmanirbhar Bharat, we use things made in the country and give impetus to ‘vocal for local’.”
“From tomorrow, Navratri, the festival for worshiping Goddess Jagadabma, will start and after that Diwali will come. Whatever purchase we do, we do so by keeping in mind that it is swadeshi. Traders, shop owners should promote the sale of swadeshi things and widely propagate and circulate the same. All of us should buy handicrafts made by Sakhi Mandals and women of self-help groups. In these festivals, all of us should buy things made in the country only and realise the resolve of ‘sahkar thi samruddhi (Prosperity through Cooperation)’.”
Patel also spoke about expanding the cooperative sector in Gujarat.
“Currently, 89,000 cooperative societies and 1.65 cooperative members are functional. It means every fourth Gujarati is connected with the cooperative sector. The cooperative network of cooperative institutions is extended. The total turnover of the state’s cooperative sector has crossed Rs 4 lakh crore. The task of changing the ecosystem associated with cooperative institutions is being done under the leadership of PM Modi. He (Modi) has done the task of making cooperatives multi-purpose,” the chief minister said.
The chief minister also invoked Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel while saying that the two leaders had given India’s freedom struggle a new direction through cooperative societies.
Stay updated with the latest – Click here to follow us on Instagram
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
