Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has directed that the ongoing membership campaign for Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) be continued till June 30, with a target of enrolling 10 lakh new members across the state.
Reviewing the activities of the Cooperation Department at the Mantralaya, Dr. Yadav also instructed officials to maintain the annual target of approving 1.25 lakh new Kisan Credit Cards (KCCs) to strengthen institutional credit access for farmers. The meeting was attended by Cooperation Minister Vishwas Kailash Sarang, Chief Secretary Anurag Jain and Principal Secretary D.P. Ahuja.
The Chief Minister stressed the need to improve the financial health of District Central Cooperative Banks and said all weak district cooperative banks should be strengthened within the next three years.
Officials informed the meeting that six out of 18 financially weak cooperative banks had shown improvement over the last two-and-a-half years. Government share capital assistance is currently being provided to cooperative banks in Rewa, Satna, Jabalpur, Shivpuri, Gwalior and Datia, while banks in Bhind, Morena, Raisen, Sagar, Sidhi and Narmadapuram will be taken up in the next phase.
Dr. Yadav also emphasised digital transformation in the cooperative sector and called for PACS transactions to be enabled through a mobile application. Officials stated that all 4,536 PACS in Madhya Pradesh have already been computerised under the centrally sponsored PACS computerisation scheme, making the state one of the leading performers in the country with 100 per cent implementation. Mobile app-based transactions are expected to begin soon.
The review meeting highlighted progress in several cooperative initiatives during the last two years. Around 14 lakh quintals of certified seeds were produced and marketed through cooperative seed institutions. The dairy sector also witnessed expansion with the formation of 1,102 new dairy cooperative societies, taking the total number of dairy societies in the state to 5,562.
In an effort to deepen financial inclusion, around 76,000 members have opened bank accounts in District Cooperative Banks. The department has also undertaken extensive recruitment and institutional capacity-building programmes to improve cooperative governance and operational efficiency.
Officials further informed the Chief Minister about partnerships established with newly formed national-level cooperative organisations. The State Cooperative Seed Federation signed a memorandum of understanding with Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Limited (BBSSL), generating business worth Rs 17 crore while enrolling 844 PACS as members.
Similarly, the State Cooperative Marketing Federation partnered with National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL), under which 1,335 PACS became members. Another agreement with National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL) led to membership enrolment of 1,612 PACS. Officials said product identification work under these collaborations is currently underway.