Shah to Inaugurate Computerization Projects for Agri and Rural Banks

Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah is set to launch a computerization project for agriculture and rural development banks and the Registrar of Cooperative Societies (RCS). The Ministry of Cooperation, in collaboration with the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), is organizing the launch program. The project aims to modernize and enhance the efficiency of the cooperative sector by bringing it onto a digital platform.

Under this initiative, 1,851 units of agriculture and rural development banks (ARDBs) in 13 states/UTs will be computerized and linked to the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) through a common national software. The project seeks to increase operational efficiency, accountability, and transparency in ARDBs by implementing a Common Accounting System (CAS) and Management Information System (MIS). The move is expected to reduce transaction costs, facilitate loan distribution to farmers, and enable real-time data access for better monitoring and assessment of schemes, benefiting small and marginal farmers.

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The second major initiative involves computerizing the offices of the Registrar of Cooperative Societies (RCS) in all states and Union Territories. This aims to promote paperless functioning, implement IT-oriented workflows under cooperative Acts and Regulations, and enhance efficiency, accountability, and transparency in RCS offices.

As part of the broader initiatives, Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACSs) are being computerized and linked to NABARD through Common National Software. More than 50,000 PACSs have been onboarded as Common Service Centers (CSCs), with over 30,000 already providing services. Additionally, the Ministry of Cooperation has established a new National Cooperative Database, containing data from over 8 lakh cooperative societies.

Over 1,200 participants, including senior officials from all states and Union territories, secretaries of cooperative departments, Registrars of Cooperative Societies, and representatives of cooperative agriculture and rural development banks, are expected to attend the event.