CM launches B-PACS membership campaign; eyes 20 lakh new members

Waking up to the reality of resurgent PACS having potential of changing the landscape of rural India, the dynamic CM of UP, Yogi Adityanath launched B-PACS membership campaign from his residence in Lucknow on Friday. The campaign is aimed at increasing membership of Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS) in the state.

The campaign began from 1st September 2023 and will be organized in the entire state till 30th September 2023. On this occasion, Adityanath also released an online portal www.pacsmember.in, toll free number 1800212884444 to join the B-PACS membership drive.

The target is to make 20 lakh new members of PACS, which can lead to a deposit of Rs 100 crore as share capital. There are nearly 7500 PACS in Uttar Pradesh.

It is said that the Uttar Pradesh State Cooperative Bank is taking the lead from the front in collaboration with the State Cooperative Department. The apex bank has instructed DCCBs for creating awareness in their respective districts about the membership drive.

The drive was launched in the presence of UP Cabinet Minister Dharmpal Singh, Swatantra Dev Singh, Cooperation Minister JPS Rathore, Principal Secretary Cooperation BL Meena and others were present. On the occasion, the representatives from the apex bank and DCCBs also joined the event through virtual mode.

Addressing the participants, Adityanath said, “The membership drive will not only help in achieving the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Sahakar Se Samriddhi’ but also play an important role in strengthening the state cooperative movement”.

“In recent days, PACS were only limited to distributing seeds, fertilizers and other things but they can now work as Common Service Centers and can undertake other businesses under several initiatives launched by the Union Ministry of Cooperation recently”, he added.

UP Chief Minister further added, “We are directing the cooperative department to do mapping for opening branches of cooperative banks in the state. Besides, the efforts will be made in increasing the profit of the cooperative bank. We also look forward to working on the agenda of opening ‘One District, One Cooperative Bank’.

In his address, the state cooperation minister Rathore said, “Under the leadership of the State Chief Minister, cooperatives are currently gaining new dimensions. We have set a target to make at least 200 new members per PACS”.

Union Minister of State for Cooperation BL Verma also became a part of the event and launched the membership drive from Budaun, where district cooperative bank President J K Saxena and others were present.