CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: Cooperation, Sports, and Youth Welfare Minister Reviews PACS Strengthening and Membership Drive
Cooperation, Sports, and Youth Welfare Minister Vishwas Kailash Sarang held a meeting with senior officials of the Cooperation Department to review the department’s current activities and upcoming work plan in detail.
During the meeting, Minister Sarang instructed that a special committee be constituted to strengthen Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and marketing cooperative societies across the state. The committee will study the current status of cooperative institutions and provide suggestions to make their operations, structure, and functioning more effective, submitting a detailed report within 15 days.
Minister Sarang highlighted that the year 2026 is being celebrated as the Agricultural Welfare Year by the state government, which makes the role of the cooperative sector even more crucial. He directed officials to take concrete and effective steps to strengthen cooperative institutions so that farmers can derive maximum benefits during the agricultural year.
He emphasized that PACS should be developed as a strong unit of the rural economy. To achieve this, a statewide membership campaign will be launched in April with the aim of enrolling around 1 million farmers into cooperatives. Minister Sarang noted that increasing farmer participation in cooperatives will boost rural economic activities and enable farmers to benefit from institutional facilities.
The minister also reviewed the fertilizer distribution system, directing officials to enhance PACS-based distribution through cash payment in double-lock situations. This measure is expected to ensure timely availability of fertilizers for farmers and make the distribution process more transparent and efficient.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary Cooperation D.P. Ahuja, Commissioner Cooperation Manoj Pushp, and other senior officials.
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