**Executive Summary**
The Government of India has approved a five-year plan to establish new multipurpose PACS/dairy/fisheries cooperatives across all panchayats and villages. This initiative, supported by various national and state bodies, aims to strengthen the cooperative movement by expanding its reach and enhancing the financial sustainability and operational capacity of these societies. As of February 10, 2026, 33,853 new societies have been registered and 21,292 existing societies have been strengthened.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Expansion of Cooperative Network:**
* The initiative aims to ensure that every uncovered Panchayat/village is served by a functional cooperative society.
* New Multipurpose PACS (M-PACS) are designed to undertake over 25 different activities, transforming them into multi-service institutions.
* **Enhanced Service Delivery:**
* These societies will function as local service delivery hubs, facilitating activities like fertilizer and seed distribution (via PMKSKs), digital services (via CSCs), operation of Custom Hiring Centres, and participation in the World's Largest Grain Storage Plan.
* **Strengthening Financial Sustainability:**
* Diversification of activities will create multiple income sources for PACS, reducing dependence on credit operations and improving financial health.
* **Inclusive Participation and Governance:**
* The initiative promotes the inclusive participation of farmers, women, and other rural stakeholders.
* It aims to strengthen democratic governance within the cooperative sector.
* **Technological Integration:**
* Integration with digital platforms and computerization will enhance transparency, efficiency, and connectivity with cooperative banks and other institutions.
**Impact Analysis**
* **Rural Areas and Panchayats**
* **Impact:** Will be served by functional cooperative societies, expanding access to various services.
* **Action Required:** None explicitly mentioned for this stakeholder group; they will benefit from the established services.
* **Farmers and Rural Stakeholders**
* **Impact:** Will experience inclusive participation in cooperative institutions and benefit from enhanced services and financial opportunities.
* **Action Required:** Participate in cooperative institutions and utilize the services offered.
* **Cooperative Societies (PACS, Dairy, Fisheries)**
* **Impact:** Will be strengthened through new registrations and enhancements, expanding their service offerings, income sources, financial sustainability, and operational efficiency via technological integration.
* **Action Required:** Undertake the expanded range of activities under Model Bye-laws and integrate with digital platforms.
* **Government of India and Supporting Bodies (NABARD, NDDB, NFDB, State/UT Governments)**
* **Impact:** Will see the successful implementation of the plan to establish and strengthen cooperative societies, contributing to the overall cooperative movement in the country.
* **Action Required:** Continue to support and facilitate the initiative as outlined by their respective roles.
Key Entities Referenced
Cooperative societies in Bihar: The central topic of the policy, focusing on the development and strengthening of cooperative societies in Bihar.
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samriddhi Kendras (PMKSKs): An initiative that these societies will facilitate, involved in the distribution of fertilizers and seeds.
Common Service Centres (CSCs): A service that the new societies will provide digital services through.
World's Largest Grain Storage Plan: An initiative that the new societies will be involved in implementing.
NABARD: An organization supporting the initiative for establishing new cooperatives.
Ministry of Cooperation
Cooperative societies in Bihar
Posted On: 11 MAR 2026 5:43PM by PIB Delhi
The Government of India has approved the plan to establish new multipurpose PACS/dairy/fisheries
cooperatives, aiming to cover all panchayats and villages in the country over the next five years. This
initiative is supported by NABARD, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), National Fisheries
Development Board (NFDB), and State/UT Governments. As per National Cooperative Database, as on
10.02.2026, 33,853 new M-PACS, Dairy and Fishery Cooperative Societies have been registered; and
21,292 Dairy and Fisheries Cooperative Societies have been strengthened.
The establishment of new Multipurpose Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (M-PACS), Dairy
and Fishery Cooperative Societies is aimed at strengthening the cooperative movement in the
country in the following manner:
(i) The initiative seeks to ensure that every uncovered Panchayat/village is served by a functional
cooperative society, thereby expanding the reach of the cooperative movement to unserved rural
areas.
(ii) Newly formed Multipurpose PACS are enabled to undertake more than 25 different
activities under the Model Bye-laws, thereby transforming them from single-purpose credit
societies into multi-service institutions providing agricultural inputs, storage, marketing and other
services at the grassroots level.
(iii) These societies function as local service delivery hubs by facilitating activities such as
distribution of fertilizers and seeds through Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samriddhi Kendras
(PMKSKs), provision of digital services through Common Service Centres (CSCs), operation of
Custom Hiring Centres, and implementation of initiatives such as the World’s Largest Grain
Storage Plan.
(iv) Diversification of activities creates multiple income sources for PACS, reducing their
dependence on credit operations alone and improving their financial sustainability.
(v) The initiative promotes inclusive participation of farmers, women and other rural
stakeholders in cooperative institutions and strengthens democratic governance in the cooperative
sector.
(vi) Integration of these societies with digital platforms and computerization initiatives enhances
transparency, efficiency and connectivity with cooperative banks and other institutions.
These measures collectively expand the outreach, strengthen the institutional capacity and improve the
economic viability of cooperatives, thereby strengthening the cooperative movement in the country.
This information was given by Union Minister for Home and Cooperation Shri Amit Shah in a written
reply in Rajya Sabha.
****AK/AP
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