Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Monday announced that the government will set up a cooperative life insurance company to strengthen the cooperative movement, while also expanding the Bharat Taxi initiative to 500 cities over the next two years.Speaking at an event in New Delhi to mark the fifth Foundation Day of the Ministry of Cooperation, Shah said the proposed life insurance company would deepen the cooperative sector's presence in insurance and create new growth opportunities.Also Read: Amit Shah launches Bharat Taxi in Gujarat, India's first driver-owned ride-hailing platform"We will be setting up a life insurance company in the cooperative sector. This will help in the growth of cooperatives in the insurance sector," Shah said.He noted that fertiliser cooperative IFFCO already has a presence in the insurance business through a joint venture with a Japanese company.Shah also highlighted the progress of the government's Bharat Taxi initiative, saying the platform had performed well since its launch and would now be significantly expanded."The Cooperation Minister said 'Bharat Taxi' has been doing well and would be expanded into 500 cities in the next two years."India currently has around 8.5 lakh cooperative societies with more than 30 crore members, making the sector a key pillar of the country's rural and agricultural economy.Reflecting on the Ministry of Cooperation's five-year journey, Shah said its creation had provided a fresh impetus to what he described as a "neglected movement" during the Congress era.He outlined a series of reforms undertaken since the ministry was established, including efforts to improve transparency, professionalism and governance within the cooperative ecosystem.Also Read: Bharat Taxi emerges as World's largest mobility cooperative with over 35 lakh users, 6 lakh driversAccording to Shah, the creation of a comprehensive national database of cooperative societies will help accelerate the sector's expansion across the country.The government is also establishing the Tribhuvan Sahkari University at Anand in Gujarat to address skill and human resource requirements within the cooperative movement.Shah said cooperatives today are expanding well beyond their traditional focus on dairy, sugar and fertilisers into a broader range of economic activities, and expressed confidence that they would play a significant role in achieving the goal of a developed India by 2047.Addressing concerns that had been raised when the Ministry of Cooperation was created, Shah said the Centre had respected the constitutional role of states."The Union Ministry is not for interfering in the state subject. It is for policy making," said Shah, who also holds the Home portfolio.He added that even Congress-ruled states had not alleged interference by the ministry during the past five years.Shah also reiterated that the NDA and BJP governments had consistently worked towards inclusive development for the benefit of the poor.Union Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh accused previous Congress governments of weakening the cooperative movement, alleging that the sector had earlier been controlled by "mafias". He said the NDA government had revitalised cooperatives and was expanding the dairy cooperative network, noting that nearly 40 per cent of India's dairy sector remains unorganised.Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma also criticised previous Congress governments, alleging that the cooperative sector had become a "hotbed of corruption" under their rule.The Foundation Day celebrations also witnessed the launch and inauguration of several projects aimed at strengthening cooperative infrastructure.These included the transfer of 135 grain storage godowns with a combined capacity of 75,000 tonnes, the inauguration of 85 godowns, and the virtual foundation laying for 47 additional grain storage facilities.Shah also performed the groundbreaking for Sahakar Van projects by Amul and the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India (NCCF), along with tissue culture facilities of Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Ltd (BBSSL) at Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh and Jalgaon in Maharashtra.A key announcement during the programme was the digitisation of 50,000 Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS) into e-PACS, aimed at strengthening grassroots cooperative institutions through technology.The event also saw the signing of a memorandum of understanding between BBSSL and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to strengthen India's seed systems.Shah further released model bye-laws for dairy cooperative societies and a commemorative publication highlighting the Ministry of Cooperation's achievements over the past five years.The ministry said it remained committed to building a cooperative ecosystem that connects farmers, women, youth, dairy producers, small businesses and rural institutions under the vision of **"Sahakar Se Samriddhi"** while contributing to the goal of a developed and self-reliant India.