Taking cue from the success of the computerisation of the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) in the Telangana, the Union government has decided to computerise all the 63,000 Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS) in the country at a cost of Rs. 1,900 crore to ensure transparency and accountability.
Accordingly, the government had constituted the national-level implementation and monitoring committee and technical committee for taking up the computerisation.
It may be recalled that the Telangana State Cooperative Apex Bank (TSCAB) had taken up computerisation of all PACS in the year 2016-17 and emerged as a role model in the country.
In order to review the PACS and conversion of PACS into the Multi-Service Centres (MSC), National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) chairman Govinda Rajulu Chinthala visited the TSCAB in Hyderabad on Monday and interacted with TSCAB chairman Konduru Ravinder Rao, vice- chairman Godidi Mahender Reddy, MD Dr. N. Muralidhar, NABARD CGM YK Rao, CEOs of all the DCCBs and others.
Mr. Goinda Rajulu said that they had taken up a special programme of conversion of PACS into MSCs to provide all other services to the farmers along the crop loans. The NABARD is providing loans at only at 4% per annum for diversification of PACS into MSC and the societies would have a 3% interest waiver under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) if paid the loan on time.
Mr. Chinthala had also interacted with the PACS chairpersons of Choppadandi, Mella Cheruvu and Dhanasari and inquired about the computerisation in a virtual mode. Thalamadugu PACS chairman Damodar Reddy explained about the diversion of PACS into MSC and doing the super market business in Adilabad district.
