Chandigarh, Apr 24 (PTI) Union Minister of State for Cooperation Krishan Pal Gurjar on Thursday held a review meeting to discuss the progress on digitisation and expansion of the cooperative societies in Haryana.

Several important decisions were made to make cooperative institutions transparent, effective, and technologically capable, an official statement said.

Gurjar asked the concerned officials to ensure that the audit process should be entirely online to digitally empower the functioning of cooperative institutions.

He said that issues faced by the Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) in the state should be identified, and PACS should be developed as model institutions with concrete plans to enhance their income.

Gurjar also asked for speedy completion of the drug licensing process for setting up "Jeevan Aushadhi Kendras".

Emphasising on the modernization of state cooperative banks during the meeting, he stated these banks should be made technologically advanced and that farmers should get the benefit of loan guarantee of up to 85 per cent.

Haryana Cooperation Minister Arvind Sharma also asked the officials to ensure that the target of opening 2,500 new PACS set by the state government should be completed on a priority basis.

Meanwhile, at another event, Gurjar said that the Union Ministry of Cooperation will play a pivotal role in revitalising the rural economy under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Gurjar, along with Haryana Cooperation Minister Sharma, inaugurated a two-day national conference titled 'Developing Developed India: Farmer Empowerment, Development, and Rural Progress through Cooperatives'.

The event is being organized by the Regional Institute of Cooperative Management here.

Gurjar stated that the Ministry of Cooperation, established by Prime Minister Modi in 2021 with the vision of "prosperity through cooperation", has since launched around 60 significant initiatives under the leadership of Union Minister for Cooperation Amit Shah.

These initiatives aim to transform India's 8.5 lakh cooperative societies into engines of rural and national growth, he said.

He further added that standardised bylaws are being developed to unify and strengthen cooperative societies, and computerization of PACS is underway to boost operational efficiency.

Making PACS multi-functional by integrating 25 types of services will unlock greater self-employment opportunities for members, thus benefiting communities and the nation at large.

Looking ahead, the government plans to establish 2 lakh new cooperative societies in the next five years, of which 15,000 have already been formed in the past four months, he said.

Gurjar said that in the next five years, 9,000 new cooperative societies will be formed in Punjab and 2,500 in Haryana, further reinforcing the sector.

Speaking on the occasion, Sharma underscored the importance of cooperation in strengthening India's socio-economic fabric, particularly in rural and agrarian contexts.

"A strong village is the foundation of a strong nation," he said, adding that the cooperative sector is key to realising Prime Minister Modi's vision of a developed India by 2047.

The event began with a two-minute silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. PTI SUN HVA

Digital transformation of cooperatives-online audits and PACS computerisation to boost transparency, services, and credit support. Directives require implementation of an online audit process and computerisation of PACS to enhance transparency and accountability; standardised bylaws will unify governance; PACS will be made multi functional to expand member services; licensing for community drug outlets will be expedited; state cooperative banks are to be modernised and supported by a loan guarantee of up to 85 per cent; administrative targets set for rapid establishment and scaling of PACS and new cooperative societies to revitalise the rural economy.