Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, outlined major strides in strengthening Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) in Bihar, with a strong focus on digitisation, diversification, and infrastructure development.
Bihar has 8,463 PACS, of which 4,477 have been computerised to improve transparency and efficiency. Notably, 4,465 societies have already been declared e-PACS after onboarding to ERP systems.
The state has also pushed PACS towards multipurpose roles, over 7,600 societies are engaged in at least two services, including procurement, storage, fertilizer distribution, and Common Service Centres.
Under the “World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in the Cooperative Sector,” 36 PACS across nine districts have been identified, with a storage capacity of 1.045 lakh metric tonnes. Loans have been sanctioned for 27 PACS, while construction is underway with support from the Bihar State Warehousing Corporation.
The government is also enhancing PACS viability through initiatives like paddy procurement, PM Kisan Samriddhi Kendras, and Bank Mitra roles. Regular monitoring at national, state, and district levels ensures timely implementation, Shah noted.
