Amit Shah emphasised the importance of PACS in rural and agricultural development. Referred to the agreement as a “win-win” scenario for all parties involved.
Soon, the Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) will begin offering similar services to Common Service Centers (CSC).
The Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, NABARD, and CSC e-Governance Services India Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect. At the event, BL Verma, the Minister of State for Cooperation, Gyanesh Kumar, the Secretary of the Ministry of Cooperation, and other representatives were present.
In this instance, Shah asserted that PACS are the cooperatives’ souls and that by making them multifunctional service providers. Offering roughly 20 different services—rural communities will have more job options.
Shah emphasised the importance of PACS and its contribution to rural and agricultural development, describing the deal as a “win-win” situation for all parties involved.
According to Shah, this would strengthen cooperatives and farmers in addition to advancing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Sahkar Se Samridhi” and turning cooperatives into the cornerstone of rural development.
Shah said that this action will make it much easier to spread the idea of Common Service Centers (CSC) to the country’s smallest unit.
According to Shah, almost half of the population in the nation is somehow involve with cooperatives.
He claimed that the main challenge facing the cooperative sector was making PACS financially viable. But today a fresh start has made by giving PACS numerous additional functions.
The PACS will now be able to carry out 20 various tasks, such as Bank Mitra and water distribution and storage. The first and most important objective, according to him, is to use PACS to make the services. Offered by Common Service Centres accessible to the rural populace.
The Cooperative Ministry released the following statement:
“The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that as per the agreement signed today, PACS will now be able to function as Common Service Centres. In addition, more than 300 services will made available to the rural population, including 13 crore farmer members of PACS. It will boost PACS’ commercial activity and assist them in developing into self-sufficient economic entities.
According to the statement from Shah, PACS will be able to offer all the services listed. On the Digital Seva Portal of the CSC scheme to citizens thanks to this initiative. Including banking, insurance, Aadhaar enrolment/update, legal services, agri-inputs like farm equipment, PAN cards, IRCTC, rail, bus, and air ticket related services, etc. He stated that PACS will also employ the national software created under the continuing Centrally-Sponsored Scheme of PACS computerise. Which will be a significant accomplishment, the statement continued.