The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) will computerise 1297 Primary Agriculture Credit Societies (PACS) in Jharkhand in the second phase of its modernisation drive. The initiative follows the successful digitisation of 1,500 PACS in the first phase. With 4454 PACS functioning in the state, the programme aims to make rural cooperatives stronger, more efficient, and capable of serving as nodal points for multiple services.
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PACS to Serve as Rural Hubs
Deepmala Ghosh, Chief General Manager of NABARD, said the computerisation is part of the Ministry of Cooperation’s Centrally Sponsored Project for PACS. She noted that the digitised societies are being provided hardware and software, and will soon be connected to the national grid. Once integrated, PACS will handle activities such as credit disbursal, fertiliser and seed supply, crop insurance under PM Fasal Bima Yojna, direct benefit transfers, Jan Aushadhi kendras, petrol and gas dealerships, customer service centres, and rural godowns.
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Quicker Loans to Benefit Farmers
Officials said the move would give farmers quicker access to loans with streamlined digital processing, while also enhancing their negotiating power by linking them with storage and input facilities. “The idea is to make PACS the first point of contact for farmers in every village,” an official said, adding that this will reduce delays and improve transparency in rural finance.
PACS with available land will also be identified for the construction of godowns, supported through loans and subsidies under various Government schemes. For this purpose, NABARD has set aside Rs. 100 crores under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund. The bank will also act as the nodal agency for training staff in software usage and providing ongoing technical assistance to ensure smooth operations across the digitised PACS.
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