Shy of publicity but eager to reach out to cooperators at the grassroots level, the new Cooperation Secretary Gyanesh Kumar is often in a fix how much to mingle with the media. “No doubt we wish to reach out to cooperators connected to primary co-op societies so that they are made aware of various ground-breaking reforms being undertaken by the Ministry”, he confessed to the Indian Cooperative team during an unstructured interview.
New bylaws being formulated for Primary Co-op Societies is a big-time reform which will change the economic landscape of rural India, said the Secretary emphasizing the need to spread it to the rural hinterland.
“Do you imagine the changes the PACS in the new avatar could usher in? PACS which was giving loans to its members will fly drones also”, said Kumar underlining the big jump the new PACS are being readied to take over.
The model bylaws of PACS which have been sent to states talk of many activities for PACS. Union Minister Amit Shah has himself penned letters to the state CMs. The Draft talks of PACS providing community-based services in the field of education (school, college), health (hospital, dispensary, clinical laboratory, ambulance service), tourism and environmental and sustainable development activities to the members.
The Draft bylaws talk of PACS participating in the Government Scheme for payment services through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to the beneficiaries in the operational area of the Society.
PACS can organize training, exposure visits or capacity building programs to empower their members & their families and Management and staff about Cooperative Principles, Cooperative Values and Cooperative actions.
It can also act as an agent or Bank Mitra /Business Correspondent (BC)/Business Facilitator (BF) for the Financial /Banking Institutions and can get engaged as an agency for implementation of social security schemes for the members and will try to focus on and encourage the inclusion of youth and women in the cooperative base activities in the area of operation.
Most of all, the issues of compliance would also be tackled at one go by the new PACS as it would not be required to seek separate permission from various authorities. A PACS can sell fertilizer, procure milk or run fish shops under one umbrella thereby removing a big headache being faced on the issue of compliance.