Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 21 Jan: Under the digitisation drive of the cooperative system in the state, 405 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) have so far been converted into e-PACS. The process of digitisation is being carried out on a war footing in the remaining PACS. With the digitisation of PACS, all transactions will now be conducted online, promoting a paperless working system and ensuring greater transparency and accountability. The e-PACS will also function as multipurpose centres, enabling local communities to access digital services at the grassroots level.
State Cooperation Minister Dr Dhan Singh Rawat stated that the state government is working to bring the entire cooperative system onto a fully digital platform, ensuring that farmers, cultivators, artisans, youth, and women can directly benefit from digital services. He added that digitisation would also help curb irregularities in PACS operations.
Dr Rawat added that a total of 670 PACS committees in the state are being digitised at a rapid pace, with the aim of converting all of them into e-PACS. So far, 405 PACS have been converted, including 39 in Almora, 12 in Bageshwar, 47 in Chamoli, 21 in Champawat, 24 in Dehradun, 27 in Haridwar, 20 in Nainital, 49 in Pauri, 58 in Pithoragarh, 24 in Rudraprayag, 42 in Tehri, 17 in Udham Singh Nagar, and 25 in Uttarkashi. Digitisation work is currently underway in the remaining cooperative societies.
The Cooperation Minister has instructed departmental officials to accelerate the computerisation process of the remaining PACS so that all societies can be converted into e-PACS at the earliest and the rural economy can be digitally strengthened.
Dr Rawat further stated that e-PACS are being developed as multipurpose service centres, through which people in rural areas will have access to banking services, digital payments, information on various government schemes, and other digital services at the local level. This initiative will significantly enhance the reach of digital services in villages.
He added that e-audits of PACS committees are being conducted. Under this initiative, 461 committees were e-audited in the financial year 2023–24, while 420 committees have been e-audited in the financial year 2024–25 so far. Several districts have achieved 100 percent e-audit coverage, which he described as a major achievement of the Cooperation Department.
