SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has received Rs 11.10 crore from the Centre under the Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) Computerisation Project since 2022-23, with the Union Government saying the initiative is aimed at strengthening rural cooperative institutions, improving farmers’ access to credit and bringing greater transparency in the cooperative sector.
According to a written reply tabled in the Rajya Sabha by Union Minister for Cooperation Amit Shah, Jammu and Kashmir received Rs 5.25 crore in 2022-23, Rs 1.52 crore in 2023-24, Rs 1.85 crore in 2024-25, Rs 0.28 crore in 2025-26 and Rs 2.20 crore in 2026-27, taking the total central assistance under the scheme to Rs 11.10 crore.
The minister said the Centre is implementing the PACS Computerisation Project with an enhanced financial outlay of Rs 2,925.39 crore to bring all functional PACS on a common Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)-based national software platform. The project seeks to digitally connect cooperative credit societies with NABARD through State Cooperative Banks and District Central Cooperative Banks, making rural credit delivery more efficient and transparent.
The reply said the Centre has also introduced Model Bye-laws for PACS, enabling them to undertake more than 25 business activities while improving governance, transparency and financial sustainability. As many as 32 States and Union Territories have adopted or aligned their bye-laws with the model framework.
The Ministry said the reform package also includes diversification of PACS into Common Service Centres, Jan Aushadhi Kendras and Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samriddhi Kendras, creation of multipurpose cooperative societies, agricultural infrastructure under the decentralised grain storage initiative, integration with digital governance platforms, renewable energy schemes, dairy sector reforms and capacity-building programmes for cooperative staff.
The data placed before Parliament further shows that Jammu and Kashmir has 1,82,414 PACS members. The cooperative societies in the Union Territory disbursed loans worth Rs 1.50 crore between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026, while loans amounting to Rs 0.53 crore were issued between April 1 and July 15, 2026.
The Ministry said it regularly monitors membership, transactions and the number of beneficiaries availing loans and other services through PACS to assess the impact of computerisation and guide future policy interventions.
