Lok Sabha Question No. 1496 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-09
Subject: Operational Cooperatives in West Bengal
Ministry: COOPERATION
Asked by: Shri Saumitra Khan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COOPERATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1496 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09 th  DECEMBER, 2025

## Operational Cooperatives in West Bengal

## 1496. Shri Saumitra Khan:

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

- (a) the details of the total number of cooperatives functioning in West Bengal, District-wise; and
- (b) whether the Government has initiated any scheme to promote cooperative activities and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) As  per  the  National  Cooperative  Database  (NCD),  there  are  a  total  of  32,128  Cooperative Societies in West Bengal, out of which 22,953 Cooperative Societies are functional. The districtwise total number of cooperative societies and number of functional cooperative societies in West Bengal, is attached as Annexure-1 .
- (b) Yes Sir.  The  Ministry  of  Cooperation,  since  its  inception  on  6th  July,  2021,  has  undertaken several initiatives to realize the vision of 'Sahakar -seSamriddhi' and to promote cooperatives across the country, including the State of West Bengal. Key initiatives include:
- i. PACS  Computerisation  Project,  covering  more  than  79,000  PACS  nationwide,  to introduce standardized software, digital accounting, online service delivery and improved transparency.
- ii. Model Byelaws of PACS, enabling PACS to undertake more than 25 business activities, improve governance, transparency and accountability in their operations. Now, PACS can  operate  as  PM-Kisan  Samridhi  Kendras  (PMKSKs),  Pradhan  Mantri  Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs), Common Service Centres (CSC) etc.
- iii. Cooperativeled  "White  Revolution  2.0'  aimed  at  expanding  cooperative  coverage, employment generation and women's empowerment with an objective "To increase the milk procurement of dairy cooperatives by 50% from the present level over next five years by providing market access to dairy farmers in uncovered areas and increasing the share of dairy cooperatives in organized sector.
- iv. Non-scheduled  UCBs,  StCBs,  and  DCCBs  notified  as  Member  Lending  Institutions (MLIs) in the CGTMSE Scheme to increase the share of cooperatives in lending.
- v. The  Government  launched  a  scheme  through  NCDC  for  setting  up  ethanol  plants  or cogeneration plants or for working capital or for all three purposes. The Ministry has released Rs.1000 crore to NCDC (Rs.500 crore in FY 2022-23 and Rs.500 crore in FY 2024-25) under the scheme and NCDC has released Rs.10,005 crore to 56 CSMs.
- vi. Capacity-building programs undertaken through NABARD that provide training on ERP Software i.e. e-PACS software.

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Annexure-1 District wise number of total and functional cooperative societies in West Bengal

| S.No   | District Name      | Total number of societies   | Number of functional societies   |
|--------|--------------------|-----------------------------|----------------------------------|
| 1      | 24 Paraganas North | 5,596                       | 5,227                            |
| 2      | 24 Paraganas South | 1,756                       | 993                              |
| 3      | Alipurduar         | 333                         | 225                              |
| 4      | Bankura            | 1,152                       | 996                              |
| 5      | Birbhum            | 972                         | 766                              |
| 6      | Coochbehar         | 862                         | 537                              |
| 7      | Darjeeling         | 772                         | 420                              |
| 8      | Dinajpur Dakshin   | 541                         | 330                              |
| 9      | Dinajpur Uttar     | 621                         | 353                              |
| 10     | Hooghly            | 2,052                       | 1,244                            |
| 11     | Howrah             | 813                         | 653                              |
| 12     | Jalpaiguri         | 642                         | 369                              |
| 13     | Jhargram           | 453                         | 387                              |
| 14     | Kalimpong          | 232                         | 158                              |
| 15     | Kolkata            | 2,438                       | 1,412                            |
| 16     | Maldah             | 672                         | 665                              |
| 17     | Medinipur East     | 1,614                       | 1,433                            |
| 18     | Medinipur West     | 1,645                       | 1,468                            |
| 19     | Murshidabad        | 2,590                       | 1,507                            |
| 20     | Nadia              | 1,925                       | 1,369                            |
| 21     | Paschim Bardhaman  | 1,170                       | 564                              |
| 22     | Purba Bardhaman    | 2,363                       | 1,403                            |
| 23     | Purulia            | 914                         | 474                              |
|        | Total              | 32,128                      | 22,953                           |

Source:- NCD portal as of 15.11.2025.