Lok Sabha Question No. 3743 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-12
Subject: Digitization of Cooperative Societies in Maharashtra
Ministry: COOPERATION
Asked by: Shri Tatkare Sunil Dattatrey

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COOPERATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3743 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12 th  AUGUST, 2025

## Digitization of Cooperative Societies in Maharashtra

## 3743. Shri Tatkare Sunil Dattatrey:

Will the Minister of COOPERATION ( सहकारिता मंत्री ) be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the number of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) digitized so far in the country, State-wise and district-wise in the State of Maharashtra including Raigad Lok Sabha Constituency;
- (b) the infrastructure and software solutions provided to PACS in Maharashtra as part of the digitization drive;
- (c) whether the Government is conducting training of cooperative members in rural areas for efficient digital operations, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has faced any challenges during digitization in tribal areas like Raigad and if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken to address them; and (e) the role of digitized cooperatives in enhancing access to credit and services for small farmers and SHGs.

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF COOPERATION सहकारिता मंत्री (SHRI AMIT SHAH)

(a):  The  Government  has  launched  the  Central  Sponsored  Project  for  Computerization  of PACS,  in  2022.  Government  of  India  initially  approved  63,000  PACS  under  Project  of Computerization of functional PACS with a total financial outlay of ₹2,516 Crore which has now been increased up to 2925.39 Crore covering 73,492 PACS which entails bringing all the functional  PACS  onto  an  ERP  (Enterprise  Resource  Planning)  based  common  national software, linking them with NABARD through State Cooperative Banks (StCBs) and District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs). The state-wise details are at Annexure'A'.

Further, In Maharashtra, the total sanctioned PACS under this project are 12000. The districtwise details are at Annexure'B' .  including Raigad District which has 122 PACS. All 122 PACS have been provided hardware and have been onboarded on ERP Software.

(b):  Under  Computerization  of  PACS  Project,  hardware  comprising  Desktop  PC  with  web camera, UPS, VPN, Biometric device, printer have been made available for all the sanctioned 12,000 PACS. The software solution under this project is ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) based common national software.

In  Maharashtra,  the  ERP  software  is  available  in  English  and  Marathi  languages  which provides separate modules for various activities of the PACS.

(c): Yes, Sir. The Government is conducting training of cooperative members in rural areas for efficient digital operations. The details of training and hand-holding provided to the PACS members under this Project are at Annexure'C' . In Maharashtra, a host of training programs have been organized for various stakeholders under the project, the details of which are as under:-

- A Basic Orientation Training Programme for Master Trainers was conducted from 18-20 August 2023, with 224 master trainers identified from StCB, DCCBs, and SI.
- A training programme for 148 Core Master Trainers (CMTs) was conducted in May and June 2024.
- Additionally, a Training of Master Trainers programme was conducted in all districts for 48 Master Trainers from both DCCBs and SI during July and August 2024.

(d): No, Sir. All necessary facilities for the computerization of PACS in Raigad district have been provided through the District Central Cooperative Bank(DCCB) without any challenge. All 122 sanctioned PACS have now been onboarded to ePACS with the help of DCCB.

(e):  The  digitization  of  PACS  plays  a  critical  role  in  enhancing  access  to  credit  and  allied services for small and marginal farmers, as well as Self Help Groups (SHGs), in the following ways:

- Improved transparency and accountability in  credit disbursal and repayment, reducing leakages and delays.
- Faster  processing of  loan  applications  and  service  requests  through  integrated software platforms.
- Real-time  data  availability ,  enabling  better  credit  planning  and  inclusion  of underserved sections.
- Direct benefit transfer (DBT) integration, ensuring timely credit of subsidies and schemes to beneficiaries.
- Support for financial inclusion , enabling PACS to offer basic banking services and act as business correspondents of banks.
- It is envisaged that PACS when transitioned to ePACS may be more efficient due to  convenience  in  accounting,  MIS  and  operations,  which  will  enable  them  to service their members, be these Self Help Group (SHGs) and Farmers Producer Organization  (FPOs)  or  individuals,  in  a  better  way.  This  support  may  enable PACS  to  take  up  additional  activities;  viz  CSC,  Fertiliser  Units,  Soil  Health Testing, etc., which helps them in dispensing better services. Digitized cooperatives play a vital role in enhancing access to credit and services for small farmers and Self-Help Groups (SHGs).

## PACS Computerization Project Status (30 th  June 2025)

| S. No   | States            | Approved PACS   | ERP Onboarded   |
|---------|-------------------|-----------------|-----------------|
| 1       | Maharashtra       | 12,000          | 11,954          |
| 2       | Rajasthan         | 7,468           | 5,900           |
| 3       | Gujarat           | 5,754           | 5,627           |
| 4       | Uttar Pradesh     | 5,686           | 3,048           |
| 5       | Karnataka         | 5,682           | 3,765           |
| 6       | Madhya Pradesh    | 5,188           | 4,428           |
| 7       | Tamil Nadu        | 4,532           | 4,531           |
| 8       | Bihar             | 4,495           | 4,460           |
| 9       | West Bengal       | 4,167           | 3,145           |
| 10      | Punjab            | 3,482           | 3,408           |
| 11      | Odisha*           | 2,711           | -               |
| 12      | Andhra Pradesh    | 2,037           | 2,021           |
| 13      | Chhattisgarh      | 2,028           | 2,028           |
| 14      | Himachal Pradesh  | 1,789           | 965             |
| 15      | Jharkhand         | 2,797           | 1,414           |
| 16      | Haryana           | 710             | 609             |
| 17      | Uttarakhand       | 670             | 670             |
| 18      | Assam             | 583             | 579             |
| 19      | J&K               | 537             | 536             |
| 20      | Tripura           | 268             | 207             |
| 21      | Manipur           | 232             | 175             |
| 22      | Nagaland          | 231             | 64              |
| 23      | Meghalaya         | 112             | 99              |
| 24      | Sikkim            | 107             | 103             |
| 25      | Goa               | 58              | 45              |
| 26      | ANI               | 46              | 46              |
| 27      | Puducherry        | 45              | 43              |
| 28      | Mizoram           | 49              | 25              |
| 29      | Arunachal Pradesh | 14              | 11              |
| 30      | Ladakh            | 10              | 10              |
| 31      | DNH&DD            | 4               | 4               |
|         | Total             | 73,492          | 59,920          |

* Odisha has recently joined the Project

## PACS Computerization Project Status-Maharashtra (As on 30 th  June 2025)

| S.No.       | District Name   | Approved PACS   | ERP Onboarded   |
|-------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
| 1           | Ahmednagar      | 946             | 946             |
| 2           | Dhule           | 175             | 175             |
| 3           | Jalgaon         | 352             | 352             |
| 4           | Jalna           | 200             | 191             |
| 5           | Kolhapur        | 1751            | 1725            |
| 6           | Nandurbar       | 111             | 111             |
| 7           | Palghar         | 93              | 93              |
| 8           | Pune            | 1192            | 1192            |
| 9           | Raigad          | 122             | 122             |
| 10          | Ratnagiri       | 287             | 282             |
| 11          | Sangli          | 650             | 639             |
| 12          | Satara          | 933             | 942             |
| 13          | Sindhudurg      | 214             | 214             |
| 14          | Thane           | 144             | 144             |
| 16          | Akola           | 412             | 411             |
| 17          | Amravati        | 214             | 219             |
| 18          | Aurangabad      | 305             | 305             |
| 19          | Buldhana        | 201             | 200             |
| 20          | Hingoli         | 156             | 155             |
| 21          | Nagpur          | 162             | 162             |
| 22          | Nashik          | 614             | 615             |
| 23          | Parbhani        | 149             | 149             |
| 24          | Washim          | 424             | 424             |
| 25          | Yavatmal        | 210             | 210             |
| 27          | Beed            | 200             | 200             |
| 28          | Bhandara        | 135             | 135             |
| 29          | Chandrapur      | 179             | 179             |
| 30          | Gadchiroli      | 101             | 101             |
| 31          | Gondia          | 121             | 121             |
| 32          | Latur           | 482             | 475             |
| 33          | Nanded          | 64              | 64              |
| 34          | Osmanabad       | 156             | 156             |
| 35          | Solapur         | 545             | 545             |
| Grand Total | Grand Total     | 12,000          | 11,954          |

| PACS Training and Handholding Details   | PACS Training and Handholding Details   | PACS Training and Handholding Details   | PACS Training and Handholding Details   | PACS Training and Handholding Details   |
|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
| S. No                                   | State                                   | Sum of Total Sanction PACS              | Training to PACS                        | Handholding to PACS                     |
| 1                                       | Andaman and Nicobar                     | 46                                      | 46                                      | 46                                      |
| 2                                       | Andhra Pradesh                          | 2037                                    | 592                                     | 1469                                    |
| 3                                       | Arunachal Pradesh                       | 14                                      | 11                                      | 11                                      |
| 4                                       | Assam                                   | 583                                     | 539                                     | 572                                     |
| 5                                       | Bihar                                   | 4495                                    | 1698                                    | 1336                                    |
| 6                                       | Chhattisgarh                            | 2028                                    | 2028                                    | 2025                                    |
| 7                                       | Daman and Diu                           | 4                                       | 0                                       | 4                                       |
| 8                                       | Goa                                     | 58                                      | 41                                      | 14                                      |
| 9                                       | Gujarat                                 | 5754                                    | 5618                                    | 1440                                    |
| 10                                      | Haryana                                 | 710                                     | 600                                     | 585                                     |
| 11                                      | Himachal Pradesh                        | 1789                                    | 831                                     | 617                                     |
| 12                                      | Jammu and Kashmir                       | 537                                     | 533                                     | 465                                     |
| 13                                      | Jharkhand                               | 2797                                    | 1368                                    | 168                                     |
| 14                                      | Karnataka                               | 5682                                    | 3702                                    | 24                                      |
| 15                                      | Ladakh                                  | 10                                      | 7                                       | 0                                       |
| 16                                      | Madhya Pradesh                          | 5188                                    | 3900                                    | 4488                                    |
| 17                                      | Maharashtra                             | 12000                                   | 6858                                    | 8520                                    |
| 18                                      | Manipur                                 | 232                                     | 169                                     | 0                                       |
| 19                                      | Meghalaya                               | 112                                     | 99                                      | 46                                      |
| 20                                      | Mizoram                                 | 49                                      | 25                                      | 23                                      |
| 21                                      | Nagaland                                | 231                                     | 30                                      | 9                                       |
| 22                                      | Odisha                                  | 2711                                    | 0                                       | 0                                       |
| 23                                      | Pondicherry                             | 45                                      | 43                                      | 33                                      |
| 24                                      | Punjab                                  | 3482                                    | 948                                     | 861                                     |
| 25                                      | Rajasthan                               | 7468                                    | 5583                                    | 1847                                    |
| 26                                      | Sikkim                                  | 107                                     | 104                                     | 29                                      |
| 27                                      | Tamil Nadu                              | 4532                                    | 4531                                    | 3001                                    |
| 28                                      | Tripura                                 | 268                                     | 207                                     | 159                                     |
| 29                                      | Uttar Pradesh                           | 5686                                    | 1098                                    | 0                                       |
| 30                                      | Uttarakhand                             | 670                                     | 0                                       | 0                                       |
| 31 West                                 | Bengal                                  | 4167                                    | 3113                                    | 44                                      |
| Grand Total                             | Grand Total                             | 73492                                   | 44322                                   | 27836                                   |