Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has stressed the need to undertake a comprehensive study for improving the functioning of the District Cooperative Marketing Societies (DCMS) in the backdrop of the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) being linked to the Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs).
At a review meeting held at his camp office, near here, on Thursday, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said the study was needed to support the farming community and women self-help groups by extending them loans at low interest rates and handholding them in their activities.
“Since RBKs are functioning like branches of APCOB and DCCBs, and with every PACS having jurisdiction over three to four RBKs, the functioning of the DCMS should also be improved to suit the changed circumstances,” he said.
Stating that the CM App was playing a key role in ensuing MSP for various agricultural produce, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said that DCMS also should play a key role in this.
“There is a need to integrate the primary and secondary food processing systems with the DCMS. Officials should undertake a comprehensive study on all these aspects and submit a detailed report on the steps to be taken,” he said.
“Since ours is an agriculture based State, we should strengthen and extend the activities of APCOB, DCMS, DCCBs and PACS by making them fully professional so that they can handhold farmers and women’s self-help groups,” he added.
While the PACS should be made fully professional, they should also act as regional offices for the RBKs, and all PACS should be fully computerised by November, he said.
The PACS should also ensure that quality fertilizers were supplied while providing agricultural and gold loans to the farmers and women to give a boost to the rural economy, he said.
When officials informed him that financial transactions at all PACS in the State went up to ₹21,906 crore from ₹11,884.97 crore in the last four years and that 400 PACs had come out of losses, the Chief Minister asked them to take steps to ensure that all PACS and DCCBs also earned profits.
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy asked them to update the revenue records and make them available at PACSm which should develop SOPs on sanctioning loans in a transparent, efficient and flexible manner.
The officials said that the APCOB registered a growth of 175% in the last four years as its financial transactions went up to ₹36,732.43 crore from ₹13,322.55 crore, while its non-performing assets came down by 50%.
