Feeling left out in the massive computerization process currently underway in PACS across states, the Managing Director of apex body of co-op banks in the country NAFSCOB, Bhima Subramaniyam demands his organization’s participation, asserting the database of PACS rests only with Nafscob.
It bears recalling that a new Ministry of Cooperation was formed with a mandate to realise the vision of ‘Sahakar Se Samriddhi’. To realize this vision, the government has already initiated computerisation of 63,000 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) with an investment of Rs 2,516 crore.
The MD says “The date base of PACS is mainly maintained by NAFSCOB. The efforts of MOC, State Govts, NABARD may be appreciated. But it needs to depend on NAFSCOB. The latter is selectively and deliberately kept out of the initiative towards ‘PACS Computerisation” which is incomprehensible.
He further added “There is a need for an urgent consultative meeting of MOC, Govt of India, State Govts, NABARD and NAFSCOB. PACS computerisation project and the initiative will be successful only in consultation with NAFSCOB.”
Giving credit to the Cooperation Ministry, Bhima says MOC assigned two studies to National Federation of State Cooperative Banks (NAFSCOB) on Measures to Revive Defunct PACS and Assessing the credit Needs of the Cooperative Credit Sector in general category and in the North eastern region.
“These studies are completed and the observations of the studies are being examined for further action. The MOC deserves a great appreciation for completing the exercise of finalising the Model Bye laws for PACS and all the state governments have been advised to put the model bye laws into practice with few necessary amendments wherever needed, translate them into local languages and formulate specific Byelaws in all PACS based on the suggested model Bye laws”, he underlined.
The base and or the preliminary exercise conducted by the MOC with an excellent support of National level Federations like NCUI and NAFSCOB paved the way for building databases at national level, Bhima asserted.
In reply to a question in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah had said that besides computerization of PACS, Model bye laws have been prepared and circulated for their adoption as per the respective State Cooperatives Act to enable PACS to undertake more than 25 business activities like dairy, fishery, setting up of godowns, LPG/ Petrol/ Green energy distribution agency, banking correspondents, CSC, etc.
An MoU was also signed between the Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, NABARD and CSC -SPV to facilitate functioning of PACS as CSCs to improve their viability, provide e-services at village level and generate employment.