The National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) has provided loans and grants to cooperative societies and federations across Gujarat, accounting for a notable increase of around 1470% during the last two years.
While responding to a question raised by Rajya Sabha MP Parimal Nathwani, Union Minister Amit Shah replies, “NCDC’s funding for Cooperative Societies/Federations increased from Rs 37.40 crore in 2021-2022 to Rs 586.99 crore in 2023-2024.”
According to information accessed through the National Cooperative Database (NCD) website, there are 82,143 registered cooperative societies in Gujarat.
The minister noted that cooperative societies and federations across the country receive financial support from the NCDC. The minister also states that based on data from NCDC, the entire amount disbursed as loans over the last three years is Rs. 1,34,670.90 crore, while the total amount disbursed as grants is Rs. 1,200.04 crore.
In order to strengthen PACS, the minister said that the Government of India has approved a project for the computerisation of functional PACS, which will cost a total of Rs 2,516 crore.
“This entails bringing all functional PACS in the country onto a common ERP-based national software, linking them with NABARD through State Cooperative Banks (StCBs) and District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs). A total of 67,009 PACS from 30 states/UTs have been sanctioned under the project. The hardware has been procured by 28 states/UTs,” Shah stated.
According to the minister’s reply, 15,207 PACS have gone live, and 25,674 PACS have been onboarded on ERP software. As per the statement, the GOI share amounting to Rs 654.22 crore was released to 29 States/UTs in the years 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 for procurement of hardware, digitisation, and setting up of support systems.
Nathwani requested information on the number of Cooperative Societies that are officially registered in the country, the steps that the government has taken to revitalise, modernise, bring transparency, create competitiveness, and build the capacity of cooperative societies, as well as the financial support that the government has given to these societies for capacity expansion following the establishment of a separate ministry.
As per the minister’s statement, the Ministry of Cooperation has launched many projects since its formation on July 6, 2021, with the aim of achieving the vision of “Sahakar-se-Samriddhi” and strengthening and expanding the nation’s cooperative movement, ranging from primary to apex-level cooperatives.
“The efforts include the creation of new multipurpose PACS/Dairy/Fishery Cooperatives in unstructured Panchayats, strengthening PACS through computerisation, and model bye-laws for PACS, which make them multipurpose, multidimensional, and transparent institutions,” Shah said in a statement.
The ministry has also introduced initiatives like PACS as Common Service Centres (CSCs), the World’s Largest Decentralised Grain Storage Plan in the Cooperative Sector, and the Formation of new Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) through PACS.
In addition, PACS as PM Bharatiya Jan Aushadhi Kendra, PACS as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samriddhi Kendras (PMKSK), Convergence of PM-KUSUM at PACS level, Rupay Kisan Credit Card to Members of Milk Cooperatives, Micro-ATMs to Bank Mitra Cooperative Societies, Formation of Fish Farmer Producer Organisation (FFPO), etc. are some of the other initiatives of the cooperation ministry.
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