There are nearly 95,000 Primary Agriculture Credit Societies (PACS); 1,99,182 primary dairy cooperative societies and 25,297 primary fishery cooperative societies as against 2,55,643 Panchayats and 6,62,750 villages in the country. As per the Allocation of Business Rules, 1961, one of the mandates of the Ministry is “Strengthening of cooperative movement in the country and deepening its reach up to the grassroots”.

The new cooperative societies will require additional manpower to carry out their day-to-day business which will create employment opportunities in the rural areas. Moreover, the ministry has prepared model bye laws for PACS after detailed stakeholder consultations for adoption by States/Union Territoriesas per their respective State Cooperatives Societies Act suitably. These Model Byelaws of PACS will enable them to undertake more than 25 business activities like dairy, fishery, floriculture, setting up of godowns, procurement of foodgrains, fertilizers, seeds, LPG/ Petrol/ CNG distribution agency, banking correspondents, common service centres, etc. With increase in the activities of PACS, they would be able to generate ample employment opportunities at Panchayat/village level all over the country.

This was stated by the Union Minister for Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.

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NW/RK/AY/3