The Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) will provide services offered by Common Service Centres (CSC) from today, July 21 across the country. This was informed by the Union Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah while formally announcing the initiative at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. Under the initiative, the PACS will provide more than 300 services, like Banking, Insurance, Aadhar enrolment, Health Services, Legal Services, and Pradhan Mantri Welfare Schemes, among others to the rural citizens including 13 crore farmers in the country.

Inaugurating the National Seminar on delivery of CSC services through PACS, Mr Amit Shah said that out of one lakh existing PACS, 17,000  have already been onboard as CSCs. He added that more than 6,000 PACS have already started their service to the citizens. Mr Shah said that the purpose of this initiative is to make PACS economically vibrant entities at the Panchayat level.

The Minister said that a provision has been made in this year's budget to make 2 lakh PACS in the next five years and create a multi-purpose PACS in every Panchayat. Last Month the Ministry of Cooperation had signed an MoU with the Ministry of Electronic and IT, NABARD and CSC e-governance Services India Limited to enable the Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS) to function as Common Service Centre (CSCs).