DW BUREAU / Shimla

As many as 870 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) have been computerised in Himachal Pradesh at a cost of Rs 22.18 crore in the first phase, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said on Saturday.In the second phase, 919 PACS have been selected for computerisation, the minister said.

A total budget of Rs 53 crore has been approved for the computerisation of 1,789 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) in the state, Agnihotri said. So far, Rs. 22.18 crore has been spent on the development of these societies.

"In the first phase, computerisation of 870 PACS has been completed. In the second phase, 919 PACS have been selected for computerisation," he said.

He said that the state government was taking swift measures to connect cooperative societies with a digital and transparent system. "To strengthen and modernise the cooperative sector, a comprehensive computerisation programme has been launched to ensure greater transparency, efficiency and accountability in the functioning of these societies", said Agnihotri.

He added that, as public money was involved in these societies, transparency in their operations was of utmost importance. Agnihotri said that this initiative was not just about technical upgrades but was a significant step towards building social trust and improving economic governance. The move was expected to curb embezzlement and irregularities, thereby making the functioning of these societies more transparent and result-oriented.

"To strengthen the audit mechanism of these societies, the Cooperation Department has appointed 30 master trainers who would provide training to auditors across the state. The target was to complete the audit of all cooperative societies by 30 September, 2025," said Agnihotri.

"Apart from this, the state government was developing 1,153 PACS into Common Service Centres (CSCs), where over 300 digital services such as Tele-Law, Telemedicine, pensions, certificates and banking services would be made available. This will ensure access to government services to the rural populace in their own village," said the Deputy CM.

He said that to further improve transparency, cooperative societies in the state were being linked to the National Cooperative Database to enable Geographic Information System (GIS)-based monitoring of the societies and enhance transparency in administrative decisions and policy-making.

(editor@dailyworld.in)