Union Home & Cooperation Minister Amit Shah informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that India has 1,840 Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS), of which 73 are located in West Bengal, according to the National Cooperative Database (NCD) as on July 15, 2026.
Replying to a question in the House, Shah said the Centre’s PACS Computerisation Project, launched in 2022, has been expanded from 63,000 to 79,630 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), with the total financial outlay rising from Rs 2,516 crore to Rs 2,925.39 crore.
He informed the House that 4,187 PACS have been sanctioned under the project in West Bengal, for which the Centre has released Rs 50.79 crore. The assistance includes Rs 30.54 crore in 2022-23, Rs 15.25 crore in 2025-26, and Rs 5 crore in 2026-27.
Shah also said the Government has formulated the National Cooperation Policy, 2025, unveiled on July 24, 2025, to provide a comprehensive roadmap for the cooperative sector.
The policy comprises six strategic pillars, 16 objectives and 83 recommendations. To ensure effective implementation, the Government has constituted a National Steering Committee chaired by the Cooperation Minister and a National-level Policy Implementation and Monitoring Committee headed by the Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation.
