Maharashtra Sahakar Awards 2023-24: 45 Cooperatives To Be Honoured; Prize Money Hiked, Total Budget ₹1.5 Crore

Mumbai: Preparations for the ‘Sahakar Awards Ceremony 2023–24’ are in the final stage, with 45 cooperative institutions set to be honoured for their outstanding contributions, Cooperation Minister Babasaheb Patil said on Tuesday.

Minister reviews arrangements at Sakhar Bhavan

Reviewing arrangements at Sakhar Bhavan in Mumbai, the minister directed officials to ensure that the selection process is completed in a transparent and time-bound manner. A total of 202 proposals have been received from across the state, out of which 45 awards are being finalised. The selection process has now reached it's final stage.

The state government has proposed an increase in prize money this year. The prestigious ‘Sahakar Maharshi’ award has been raised from ₹1 lakh to ₹3 lakh. Additionally, 21 ‘Sahakar Bhushan’ awards will carry ₹1.5 lakh each, while 23 ‘Sahakar Nishtha’ awards will have a cash prize of ₹51,000 each. The total expenditure on award is estimated at ₹46.23 lakh.

Overall event budget of ₹1.5 crore

To organise the function on a grand scale, an overall budget of ₹1.5 crore is expected. This includes ₹46.23 lakh for award prizes, ₹1 crore for event organisation, and ₹50 lakh for additional incentives to institutions. As there is no separate provision in the 2026–27 budget, the process for sanctioning the required funds is currently underway.

To ensure transparency, 10 sub-committees were constituted on October 6, 2025. These panels scrutinised all applications between October 29 and 31, 2025. The shortlisted proposals have now been forwarded to a state-level committee chaired by the minister for final approval.

Minister Patil emphasised that recognising excellence in the cooperative sector is a key responsibility of the government and assured that the awards ceremony will be conducted in a fair and credible manner.

Senior officials, including Principal Secretary Pravin Darade, Cooperation Commissioner Deepak Tawre, and other department officials, were present at the meeting.

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