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Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the vision of taking cooperatives to every household is becoming a reality: Chief Minister Vishnu Deo SaiChief Minister attends the appointment ceremony of the newly designated authorized officer of Apex Bank
CM virtually inaugurates a new branch of Apex Bank
Raipur, 11 June 2025 – Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai attended the oath-taking and felicitation ceremony of Shri Kedarnath Gupta, the newly appointed authorized officer of Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Bank (Apex Bank), held at Balbir Singh Juneja Indoor Stadium, Raipur. On this occasion, the Chief Minister also virtually inaugurated a new Apex Bank branch in Farsabahar, Jashpur district, and congratulated the residents of the area.
Chief Minister Sai stated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah, the idea of “prosperity through cooperation” is being realized. Inspired by this vision, the state government is working to connect every household with the cooperative movement. He expressed confidence that under the new leadership, the cooperative sector in Chhattisgarh will grow stronger.
He added that to promote cooperative activities, the state is collaborating with the National Dairy Development Board to boost milk production. Recently, a scheme to distribute milch cattle has been launched as a pilot project in six districts, under which beneficiaries are being given two milch cows each.
The Chief Minister highlighted a major initiative started this year on Panchayati Raj Day to provide banking facilities to farmers and rural residents. A total of 1,460 Atal Digital Service Centers have been set up in gram panchayats, enabling villagers to access banking services directly from panchayat buildings. By the next Panchayati Raj Day, this service will be available in all gram panchayats across the state, providing significant relief to farmers.
CM Sai also acknowledged the significant reforms in the cooperative sector during the tenure of former Chief Minister Dr. Raman Singh. He noted that Dr. Singh freed farmers from the burden of high-interest short-term loans and progressively reduced interest rates, allowing them to access interest-free loans for agriculture. Congratulating the people of Farsabahar on the opening of the new Apex Bank branch, CM Sai remarked that now farmers would no longer have to travel 50–60 kilometers to Pathalgaon for banking services. He appreciated the efforts of the Cooperative Department for this noble initiative.
Speaker Dr. Raman Singh Reflects on the Legacy of Cooperation in Chhattisgarh
Vidhan Sabha Speaker Dr. Raman Singh began his speech by paying tribute to the pioneering figures who laid the foundation of the cooperative movement in Chhattisgarh, such as Vamanrao Lakhe and Thakur Pyarelal. He said that thanks to their vision, today the cooperative sector is flourishing. This year being the International Year of Cooperatives, he credited Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah for ushering in transformative changes in this field.
Dr. Singh praised CM Sai for his tireless efforts in bringing prosperity to the lives of farmers in the state. He highlighted that CM Sai is the first Chief Minister in India to purchase paddy at 21 quintals per acre and ₹3,100 per quintal. He also commended CM Sai for extending cooperative services to even the remotest villages.
He stated that Apex Bank, with a turnover of ₹40,000 crore, is the most powerful organization in the state and has already disbursed loans worth ₹7,500 crore to farmers.
Dr. Singh emphasized that due to Prime Minister Modi’s efforts, every citizen of the country is now connected to the banking system. As a result, 100% of funds are being directly transferred into beneficiaries’ accounts without middlemen. He stressed the untapped potential in the cooperative sector and urged swift efforts to connect all farmers with cooperatives and Apex Bank.
CSR Support to Sathy Sai Hospital
During the event, in the presence of CM Vishnu Deo Sai, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited handed over a CSR donation of ₹2.25 crore to the Sathy Sai Heart Hospital in Raipur. The Chief Minister expressed gratitude to the representatives of Mazagon Dock for their noble contribution.
Dignitaries Present
The oath-taking ceremony was attended by Cooperation Minister Shri Kedar Kashyap, Agriculture Minister Shri Ramvichar Netam, Revenue Minister Shri Tankaram Verma, Food Minister Shri Dayaldas Baghel, MLAs Rajesh Munat, Anuj Sharma, Motilal Sahu, Purandar Mishra, Guru Khushwant Saheb, Sunil Soni, heads of various corporations and boards, Additional Chief Secretary (Cooperation) Shri Subrat Sahu, and a large number of distinguished guests.
