Union Minister for Home and Cooperation Amit Shah stated on Thursday that Prime Minister Modi has decided to computerize PACS for smooth seamless transactions.
In the first phase, 65,000 PACS will be computerized, and the cooperation ministry is developing good software that will include all works. Following this, PACS, District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs), State Cooperative Banks (StCBs), and NABARD will all use the same software and accounting system, allowing for online auditing, Amit Shah said who was in New Delhi for a two-day national conference of state cooperation ministers. Several dignitaries attended the conference, including the Minister of State for Cooperation BL Verma, Cooperation Secretary Gyanesh Kumar, cooperation ministers from 21 states, and lieutenant governors from two union territories.
Stating that many problems will be solved by accepting the bylaws of PACS, computerization of PACS, and adopting of new software, minister Shah added: “This software will be available in all languages of the country so that every state will be able to conduct business for their PACS in their native language. The Government of India is also going to create a permanent database and this data bank will be updated. We want to give access to this database to the district and DCCBs. The government is also taking a decision at the policy level that till now PACS are engaged only in disbursing short-term finance, but now PACS should also be able to disburse medium and long-term finance as well, even though they have to do so through the Kheti Bank. The idea is to change the entire face of NAFED to promote cooperative marketing.”
Shah further said: “In states where activities are slow or closed, we should try to accelerate them and for this, we need a new cooperative policy. A committee has been constituted to prepare a cooperative policy in which all states are represented and former Union minister Suresh Prabhu, who has done good work in the cooperative sector, has been appointed as the chairman of this committee. We have set the focus of this policy – free registration, computerization, democratic elections, ensuring active membership, professionalism in governance and leadership, professionalism and transparency, and accountability.”
Insisting that PACS will have to be made multipurpose, which is the need of the day, Shah said: “We also want to carve out some new dimensions, such as insurance, health, tourism, processing, storage, and services. We will make three lakh new PACS in five years. Thus, we have set a target of registering around 2,25,000 PACS.”
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