BHUBANESWAR: Farmers registered with Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS) will get their crop loan disbursed through their respective savings bank accounts in the areas where the societies are yet to be integrated with the core banking network of short term credit.
After missing the December 31 deadline for making all PACS online, the State Government has come up with an alternative delivery mechanism for dispensation of crop loan during Kharif-2020.
At a high-level meeting chaired by Secretary of Cooperation department Vir Vikram Yadav, it has been decided that the PACS, which have not been integrated with the online system, will coordinate with the District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs) for disbursement of the loan.
“The DCCBs need to have all Kisan Credit Cards online with KYC, Aadhaar, land records, mobile number and crop data of farmers so that they can disburse the loans directly to their savings bank deposit accounts,” said an official of the department.
If membership fee or share linkage is to be made, the official said the banks can collect it on behalf of PACS under whose jurisdiction the farmers reside and keep the same in a suspense account from which it will be transferred to PACS when they are made online. Odisha State Cooperative Bank and DCCBs have been asked to make a database by collecting required documents and information from PACS and other related agencies.
While of 2,708 PACS and Large Area Multi-Purpose Cooperative Societies (LAMPS), 2,600 were taken up for computerisation, latest statistics suggest less than 50 per cent societies have been computerised so far.
Sources said migration of PACS to online slowed down owing to problems regarding reconciliation of general ledger balances with individual balances under special heads of accounts.
PACS have been directed to verify unreconciled balances and reconcile within three months and in default of which disciplinary action and proceedings would be initiated against the CEO of PACS or LAMPS concerned.
It has also been decided that PACS will be provided with a pool of data entry operators to assist secretaries till the societies are integrated with the core banking system. They will work under the guidance of DCCB and deputy or assistant registrar of cooperative societies.
At least 300 data entry operators will be engaged for a period of three months and it may be extended up to six months, if required, through an outsourcing agency, which has been asked to set up a project management unit.