Jaipur, Oct. 3 -- Chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Thursday announced that Rajasthan has set a target of increasing the number of cooperative societies in the state by 10%. Sharma said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision and through the efforts of Union cooperation minister Amit Shah, the country was scripting "a new story of prosperity through cooperation." He added that the state government is committed to strengthening rural progress through cooperatives and will hold over 8,300 camps at the PACS level during the drive. Addressing the launch event of the Sahkar Membership Campaign at Constitution Club, which is aimed at expanding the cooperative movement between October 2 and October 15 with special focus on enrolling women and young people, Sharma said that the campaign involved five departmental activities aimed at increasing the number of cooperatives in the state by 10%. He added that new PACS will be set up in 2,158 gram panchayats where they currently do not exist, and land will be allotted to cooperative societies that lack space for warehouses. The government will also encourage women to link products such as pulses and spices with cooperatives, he said. He said that cooperatives bring people together to work for social and cultural objectives and provide economic security to the poor and middle class. He highlighted that more than 7.7 million farmers have received interest-free short-term crop loans worth Rs.42,765 crore, 248,000 new farmers have been given crop loans worth Rs.433 crore, and over 30,000 beneficiaries have received livelihood loans of Rs.260 crore. Sharma said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi established the Ministry of Cooperation in July 2021, making it a key pillar of national development. Under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, the central government provides Rs.6,000 annually to farmers. During the current state government's tenure, over 7.6 million farmers have received more than Rs.7,054 crore under the scheme, he added. In addition, the state government provides farmers Rs.3,000 annually under the Chief Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. He said animal husbandry was the foundation of farmers' economic well-being. For this, the Gopal Credit Card Loan Scheme has been launched, providing up to Rs.1 lakh in interest-free short-term loans for dairy-related activities. Mobile veterinary units have been introduced for animal healthcare. Farmers are also being empowered through solar energy, transforming them from food providers to energy providers. The government is implementing projects such as the Ram Jal Setu Link, Yamuna Water Agreement, and the expansion of the Dewas Project for drinking water and irrigation. He added that the government has set a target of creating 400,000 government jobs in five years and has already handed out appointment letters to 91,000 youths. Minister of State for Cooperation (Independent Charge) Gautam Kumar Dak said that under Sharma's leadership, cooperative activities in the state have gained momentum....