Lok Sabha Question No. 137 (STARRED), answered on 2025-12-09
Subject: Expansion and Diversification of PACS
Ministry: COOPERATION
Asked by: Shri Bunty Vivek Sahu, Smt. Bijuli Kalita Medhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COOPERATION

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 137 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09 th  DECEMBER, 2025

## Expansion and Diversification of PACS

## 137. Smt. Bijuli Kalita Medhi: Shri Bunty Vivek Sahu:

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

(a)  the  present  coverage  of  Primary  Agricultural  Credit  Societies  (PACS)  across  Gram Panchayats and the progress made in establishing new multipurpose cooperatives under the national plan;

(b)  the  initiatives  taken  to  link  PACS  with  Central  schemes  such  as  PM-KISAN,  Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samriddhi Kendras (PMKSK) and Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJK);

- (c) the steps undertaken to expand the scope of cooperatives into emerging areas such as organic produce, dairy and fisheries through entities like NCOL and NCEL;

(d) the details of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms set up by the Government to ensure effective coordination and accountability across States and sectors particularly in Jharkhand; and

(e) the steps being taken by the Government to increase the income of farmers and make them self-reliant through PACS in Gram Panchayats?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (e) in respect of Lok Sabha Starred Question no. 137 for reply on 09 th  December, 2025 asked by Smt. Bijuli Kalita Medhi and Shri Bunty Vivek Sahu regarding Expansion and Diversification of PACS

(a) The  Government  on  15.2.2023,  approved  the  Plan  for  strengthening  cooperative movement in the country and deepening its reach up to the grassroots. As on 15.11.2025, a total of 30,083 new PACS, Dairy and Fishery Cooperative Societies have been registered and 15,793 Dairy and Fisheries Cooperative Societies have been strengthened across the country under this plan, the details of which are enclosed at Annexure-I and II respectively .  So far, 2,55,881 Gram Panchayats (GPs) are covered by PACS; 87,159 GPs are covered by Dairy Cooperative Societies; and 29,964 GPs are covered by Fishery Cooperative Societies.

(b) In order to link PACSs with central schemes like PM-KISAN, PMKSK, and PMBJK, Government, in consultation with all the stakeholders, including States/ UTs, National Level Federations, State Cooperative Banks (StCBs), District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs), etc., has prepared and circulated Model Byelaws for PACS to all the States/ UTs, which enable PACS to undertake more than 25 business activities, improve governance, transparency and accountability  in  their  operations.  Ministry  of  Cooperation  has  taken  multiple  measures  to integrate  Primary Agricultural  Credit  Societies  (PACS)  with  PM-KISAN  and  other  Central schemes like PMKSK, and PMBJK; with a view to making PACS local-level service delivery hubs for farmers. These include:

1. ERP-enabled Convergence with Farmer Databases: The Centrally Sponsored Project on Computerization  of  PACS  provides  a  uniform  ERP-based  platform  by  integrating  national portals  such  as  PM-KISAN,  Pradhan  Mantri  Kisan  Samriddhi  Kendra(PMKSK),  interest subvention, fertiliser and seed distribution, PDS outlets, LPG/Petrol/Diesel dealerships, custom hiring,  PM  Jan Aushadhi  Kendras,  Common  Service  Centres,  Pradhan  Mantri  Fasal  Bima Yojana (PMFBY),  etc.

2. Multi-Sectoral Scheme Linkages: PACS have also been enabled to participate in a range of Central schemes, including:

- i. PACS as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samriddhi Kendras (PMKSK) providing fertilizers, pesticides and various other agri inputs to farmers under one roof. So far, 38,330 PACS have been upgraded into PMKSKs.
- ii. PACS as Common Service Centers (CSCs) to deliver more than 300 e-services such as banking, insurance, electricity bill payments, health services, legal services, etc. to rural citizens; etc. So far, 51,183 PACS have started functioning as CSC.
- iii. PACS as Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJK) to ensure availability of quality generic medicines to rural citizens at affordable prices. So far, 799 PACS have got Store Codes from PMBI and are ready to function as PMBJK.
- iv. PACS made eligible for Retail Petrol/ Diesel outlets: Government has allowed PACS to be included in the Combined Category 2 (CC2) for allotment of retail petrol/ diesel outlets.
- v. PACS given permission to convert bulk consumer petrol pumps into retail outlets: The existing  bulk  consumer  licensee  PACS  have  been  given  a  one-time  option  by  Oil Marketing  Companies  to  convert  into  retail  outlets.  As  per  information  shared  by OMCs, 117 wholesale consumer pump licensee PACS from 5 States have given consent for conversion into Retail Outlets, out of which 59 PACS have been commissioned by the OMCs.
- vi. PACS made eligible for LPG Distributorship for diversifying its activities: Government has now allowed PACS to apply for LPG Distributorships. This will give PACS an option to increase their economic activities and diversify their income stream.
- vii. PACS have been made eligible to carry out Operations & Maintenance (O&M) of piped water supply schemes in rural areas. As per information received from States/ UTs, 763 PACS have been identified/ selected by 11 States/ UTs to provide O&M services at Panchayat/ Village level.

(c) To expand the scope of cooperative institutions into organic production and fisheries through institutions like NCOL and NCEL, the Ministry of Cooperation has taken several steps to strengthen the national-level institutions. National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL) has been established as the apex multi-state cooperative for organic farming, now has 10,035 PACS/cooperative societies as members and provides end-to-end support including aggregation, certification, testing, processing, branding and export facilitation. NCOL markets products under the 'Bharat Organics' brand, offering 28 certified organic products that are batch-tested  for  over  245  pesticides,  and  has  signed  partnership  arrangements  with  various States  for  procurement,  certification  and  cluster  development.  The  National  Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL) has been established as India's dedicated cooperative export vehicle and  now  has  13,848  PACS/cooperatives  as  members,  exporting  13.09  LMT  of  agricultural commodities worth Rs5,397 crore, while distributing a 20% dividend to member cooperatives during 2023-24. In fisheries, the Ministry has strengthened cooperative participation through the formation of new multipurpose cooperatives and the expansion of Fish Farmer Producer Organisations  (FFPOs).  The  National  Cooperative  Development  Corporation  (NCDC)  has supported  this  push  by  providing  financial  assistance  for  deep-sea  fishing  vessels,  seafood processing infrastructure, and by initiating the conversion of 1,000 fisheries cooperatives into FFPOs with an approved outlay of Rs 280.65 crore. Collectively, these initiatives-supported by MoUs with States, integration with PACS networks, and the creation of export and organicfocused  apex  cooperatives-have  created  a  comprehensive  institutional  framework  that expands cooperative participation across organic agriculture, fisheries, value-added processing, and international markets.

(d) To monitor schemes/ projects at the grassroots level for ensuring effective implementation and to ensure effective coordination and accountability in states, Ministry of Cooperation (MoC) has adopted a multi-layered approach to monitor schemes/ projects at the grassroots level for ensuring effective implementation and to ensure effective coordination and accountability  in  states,  including  Jharkhand.  For  this  purpose,  committees  have  been constituted at various levels-from the national level to the district level. These include:

- i. Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) - Chaired by the Hon'ble Minister of Home Affairs & Cooperation;
- ii. National Level Coordination Committee (NLCC) Chaired by the Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation;
- iii. State Cooperative Development Committee (SCDC) - Chaired by the Chief Secretary of the respective State/UT; and
- iv. District  Cooperative  Development  Committee  (DCDC)  Chaired  by  the District Collector of the respective district.

In addition to the above, a Joint Working Committee (JWC) is also being constituted by the States at the district level as a sub-committee of the DCDC. This committee comprises districtlevel  officers  of  the  concerned  State  departments  and  representatives of district-level federations/organizations.  The  JWC  serves  as  the  ground-level  committee  responsible  for achieving targets related to the formation of new M-PACS, dairy cooperatives, and fisheries cooperatives.

Further,  monthly  State  Review  Meetings  and  bi-monthly  Regional  Review  Meetings  were conducted to track and assess the progress of the scheme. Furthermore, a Project Management Unit (PMU) has also been set up in the Ministry of Cooperation to facilitate coordination among all relevant stakeholders.

These efforts are supported by robust reporting mechanisms through the National Cooperative Database (NCD), ensuring transparency and accountability.

(e) Various steps have been taken by the Government to increase the income of farmers and make them self-reliant through PACS in Gram Panchayats.  To increase the viability of Primary Agricultural  Credit  Societies  (PACS)  and  diversify  their  business  activities  to  make  them vibrant economic entities, Model Byelaws for PACS have been prepared to enable PACS to diversify their business activities by undertaking more than 25 business activities, including dairy, fishery, floriculture,  setting  up  godowns,  procurement  of  foodgrains,  fertilizers, LPG/CNG/Petrol/Diesel  distributorship,  short-term  &  long-term  credit,  custom  common service  centers,    etc.  PACS  have  already  been  enabled  to  participate  in  a  range  of  Central schemes the brief of which have already been provided at para (b) above.

Further, Government has approved a plan to create warehouses, custom hiring centers, primary processing units and other agri-infrastructure for grain storage at PACS level, through convergence of various Government of India (GOI) schemes, including  Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure Scheme (AMI), Sub Mission on  Agricultural  Mechanization  (SMAM),  Pradhan  Mantri  Formalization  of  Micro  Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PMFME), etc. This will reduce wastage of food grains and transportation costs, enable farmers to realize better prices for their produce and meet various agricultural needs at the PACS level itself. Under the pilot project, construction of godowns in 11 PACS of 11 States has been completed. Further, under the Extended Pilot, more than 500 PACS  across  the  country  have  been  identified  for  the  construction  of  godowns  under  the World's Largest Grain Storage Plan in the Cooperative Sector.

*****

## Annexure-I

| Sr.No   | States/UTs                  | No. of MPACS formed   | No. of DCS formed   | No. of FCS formed   | Total*   |
|---------|-----------------------------|-----------------------|---------------------|---------------------|----------|
| 1       | Andaman And Nicobar Islands | 1                     | 1                   | 11                  | 13       |
| 2       | Andhra Pradesh              | -                     | 895                 | 2                   | 897      |
| 3       | Arunachal Pradesh           | 126                   | 15                  | 20                  | 161      |
| 4       | Assam                       | 432                   | 556                 | 75                  | 1,063    |
| 5       | Bihar                       | 56                    | 4,460               | 2                   | 4,518    |
| 6       | Chhattisgarh                | 321                   | 352                 | 320                 | 993      |
| 7       | Goa                         | 30                    | 4                   | 3                   | 37       |
| 8       | Gujarat                     | 468                   | 694                 | 22                  | 1,184    |
| 9       | Haryana                     | 30                    | 150                 | 6                   | 186      |
| 10      | Himachal Pradesh            | 102                   | 666                 | 6                   | 774      |
| 11      | Jammu And Kashmir           | 205                   | 1,266               | 36                  | 1,507    |
| 12      | Jharkhand                   | 44                    | 238                 | 144                 | 426      |
| 13      | Karnataka                   | 233                   | 933                 | 42                  | 1,208    |
| 14      | Kerala                      | -                     | -                   | -                   | -        |
| 15      | Ladakh                      | 3                     | 3                   | 1                   | 7        |
| 16      | Lakshadweep                 | -                     | -                   | 7                   | 7        |
| 17      | Madhya Pradesh              | 626                   | 751                 | 203                 | 1,580    |
| 18      | Maharashtra                 | 180                   | 1,065               | 151                 | 1,396    |
| 19      | Manipur                     | 97                    | 24                  | 66                  | 187      |
| 20      | Meghalaya                   | 237                   | 16                  | 8                   | 261      |
| 21      | Mizoram                     | 91                    | 2                   | 2                   | 95       |
| 22      | Nagaland                    | 24                    | 4                   | 18                  | 46       |
| 23      | Odisha                      | 1,537                 | 451                 | 51                  | 2,039    |
| 24      | Puducherry                  | 4                     | 3                   | 3                   | 10       |
| 25      | Punjab                      | -                     | 453                 | 41                  | 494      |
| 26      | Rajasthan                   | 1,242                 | 1,928               | 22                  | 3,192    |
| 27      | Sikkim                      | 24                    | 57                  | 3                   | 84       |
| 28      | Tamil Nadu                  | 28                    | 806                 | 25                  | 859      |
| 29      | Telangana                   | -                     | 174                 | 102                 | 276      |
| 30      | TheDD&DNH                   | 5                     | -                   | 1                   | 6        |
| 31      | Tripura                     | 274                   | 1                   | 14                  | 289      |
| 32      | Uttar Pradesh               | 857                   | 3,915               | 376                 | 5,148    |
| 33      | Uttarakhand                 | 601                   | 256                 | 119                 | 976      |
| 34      | West Bengal                 | 23                    | 138                 | 3                   | 164      |
| 35      | Chandigarh                  | -                     | -                   | -                   | -        |
| 36      | Delhi                       | -                     | -                   | -                   | -        |
|         |                             | 7,901                 | 20,277              | 1,905               | 30,083   |

* As on 15.11.2025

## ANNEXURE-II

| Sr.No   | States/UTs                  | No. of DCS strengthened   | No. of FCS strengthened   | Total*   |
|---------|-----------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|----------|
| 1       | Andaman And Nicobar Islands | -                         | 4                         | 4        |
| 2       | Andhra Pradesh              | 106                       | 156                       | 262      |
| 3       | Arunachal Pradesh           | -                         | 2                         | 2        |
| 4       | Assam                       | 192                       | 63                        | 255      |
| 5       | Bihar                       | 834                       | 12                        | 846      |
| 6       | Chhattisgarh                | -                         | 217                       | 217      |
| 7       | Goa                         | -                         | 3                         | 3        |
| 8       | Gujarat                     | 3,956                     | 21                        | 3,977    |
| 9       | Haryana                     | -                         | 1                         | 1        |
| 10      | Himachal Pradesh            | 168                       | 9                         | 177      |
| 11      | Jammu And Kashmir           | 756                       | 1                         | 757      |
| 12      | Jharkhand                   | 159                       | 12                        | 171      |
| 13      | Karnataka                   | 619                       | 80                        | 699      |
| 14      | Kerala                      | 379                       | 45                        | 424      |
| 15      | Ladakh                      | -                         | -                         | -        |
| 16      | Lakshadweep                 | -                         | -                         | -        |
| 17      | Madhya Pradesh              | 97                        | 163                       | 260      |
| 18      | Maharashtra                 | -                         | 463                       | 463      |
| 19      | Manipur                     | -                         | 155                       | 155      |
| 20      | Meghalaya                   | 137                       | 5                         | 142      |
| 21      | Mizoram                     | -                         | 1                         | 1        |
| 22      | Nagaland                    | -                         | 11                        | 11       |
| 23      | Odisha                      | 209                       | -                         | 209      |
| 24      | Puducherry                  | -                         | -                         | -        |
| 25      | Punjab                      | 607                       | -                         | 607      |
| 26      | Rajasthan                   | 1,001                     | -                         | 1,001    |
| 27      | Sikkim                      | 251                       | 1                         | 252      |
| 28      | Tamil Nadu                  | 4,230                     | 3                         | 4,233    |
| 29      | Telangana                   | 175                       | 224                       | 399      |
| 30      | TheDD&DNH                   | -                         | -                         | -        |
| 31      | Tripura                     | -                         | 26                        | 26       |
| 32      | Uttar Pradesh               | 113                       | -                         | 113      |
| 33      | Uttarakhand                 | 104                       | -                         | 104      |
| 34      | West Bengal                 | -                         | 22                        | 22       |
| 35      | Chandigarh                  | -                         | -                         | -        |
| 36      | Delhi                       | -                         | -                         | -        |
| 14,093  |                             |                           | 1,700                     | 15,793   |

* As on 15.11.2025