Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Monday addressed the annual meeting of seven district-level cooperative societies, including the Rajkot District Cooperative Bank Limited, in Rajkot, Gujarat. Shah recalled Patel’s leadership in fighting for farmers and establishing the Rajkot District Cooperative Bank, while appreciating Radadiya’s contributions that earned the bank repeated recognition from NABARD. Highlighting the ethos of cooperatives, Shah remarked that their true identity lies in ensuring profits reach farmers rather than capitalists. The Rajkot District Cooperative Bank, he said, had maintained a stellar record, winning NABARD’s Best Performance Award five times and the Overall Best Performance Award four times. Among the new ventures, Shah highlighted Bharat Organic, a cooperative that purchases organic products directly from farmers and returns full profits to them, as well as new cooperatives for exports and seeds.