The Indian government has greenlit a project aimed at enhancing the functionality of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS). With a total financial outlay of ₹2,516 Crore, the initiative will digitize 63,000 functional PACS, bringing them onto a common national software based on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). The National Level Common Software, developed by NABARD, is currently undergoing trial runs in 15,783 PACS across 27 states and Union Territories.
The project includes the implementation of a Common Accounting System (CAS) and Management Information System (MIS) at the PACS level. This move is expected to boost governance and transparency, facilitating faster loan disbursals, reducing transaction costs, mitigating payment imbalances, ensuring seamless accounting with District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs) and State Cooperative Banks (StCBs), and overall improving efficiency.
Additionally, a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, NABARD, and CSC e-Governance Services India Limited. This collaboration will transform PACS into Common Service Centres (CSCs) capable of delivering over 300 e-services, covering areas such as banking, insurance, Aadhar enrollment/updation, health services, and agricultural services at the village level nationwide. The onboarding process has already begun, with 30,647 PACS already providing CSC services across the country.