The Union Minister for Home Affairs and Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah addressing the “Cooperative Conference” at Nashik, in Maharashtra on January 24, 2025.
Union Minister of State for Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol today interacted with more than 200 representatives. These representatives came from 100 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) spanning 13 states of the country. These representatives have been invited for the 76th Republic Day as special guests in New Delhi.
The Secretary of Ministry of Cooperation Shri Ashish Kumar Bhutani was present. Other senior officials of the Ministry attended the occasion. The invitation to Primary Agricultural Credit Societies representatives as special guests in the Republic Day parade highlights their important role in rural development. It also establishes PACS as a hub of financial activities and community welfare.
“Empowering PACS Through Digitization: Progress Across States”
The interaction programme included Primary Agricultural Credit Societies representatives from several states. These states were Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, and Punjab. Additionally, representatives from Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir were also in attendance. The computerisation of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies in these states is progressing effectively and their respective PACS officials are reaping the benefits of digitization.
The Ministry of Cooperation is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah provides guidance. The Ministry is committed to transform cooperatives into multi-purpose institutions. The Government of India is empowering PACS with other stakeholders. These include NABARD, State Governments, and Cooperative Banks. This collective effort aims to realize Prime Minister Modi’s vision of ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’. This initiative forms a part of the Central Government’s Project to computerize Primary Agricultural Credit Societies.It aims to enhance transparency. Moreover, it seeks to enhance the efficiency and profitability of PACS across the country.
“Digitizing PACS: Empowering Rural India with Financial and Non-Financial Services”
The project aims to computerize 67,930 PACS, which will significantly improve access to financial services, such as faster loan disbursement, Direct Benefit Transfer, and advanced banking services. Furthermore, it will also provide non-financial services, including grain storage, Common Service Centres, and Jan Aushadhi Kendra’s. Moreover, the digitization of PACS represents a vital step towards the overall development of rural India. In addition, it has not only enhanced access to financial services but also promoted transparency and efficiency. Consequently, this initiative contributes to fostering sustainable growth in rural communities.
Strengthening of PACS will empower rural communities and realize the Indian vision of inclusive development. The invitation extended to PACS representatives for the Republic Day parade underlines their important role in rural development.
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