Micro-ATMs to Bank Mitra Cooperative Societies initiative to be implemented in all districts of Gujarat after the success of the pilot project in Panchmahal and Banaskantha districts where 1,723 Micro-ATMs were distributed. Similarly, after distribution of 1,23,685 Rupay Kisan Credit Card to Members of Milk Cooperatives in Panchmahal and Banaskantha districts, this initiative too is being rolled out across all districts of Gujarat. Out of a total of 8,02,639 Cooperative Societies in 29 different sectors in India, 81,307 coop societies are in Gujarat. This information was provided by the Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, in Rajya Sabha on February 7, 2024 while replying to cooperative sector related questions raised by RS MP Shri Parimal Nathwani.
According to the minister's statement, Dairy and Fisheries cooperative societies can be made Bank Mitras of District Cooperative Central Banks (DCCBs) and State Coop Bank (StCBs). To ensure their ease of doing business, transparency and financial inclusion, Micro-ATMs are also being given to these Bank Mitra Co-operative Societies with support from NABARD to provide ‘Door-step Financial Services’. In another initiative, in order to expand the reach of DCCBs/StCBs and to provide necessary liquidity to the members of Dairy Cooperative societies, Rupay Kisan Credit Cards (KCCs) are being distributed to the members of cooperatives for providing credit at comprehensively lower interest rates and to enable them to carry out other financial transactions.
In the response, the minister also stated that individual housing loan limit of Urban Coop Banks has now been doubled from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 60 lakh and in case of Rural Coop Banks the limit has been increased to two and half times to Rs 75 lakh. Government has established 3 new National Level Multi-State Societies: 1) new National Multi-State Cooperative Seed Society for certified seeds; 2) new National Multi-State Cooperative Organic Society for organic farming; 3) new National Multi-State Cooperative Export Society for promoting exports.
For ‘Ease of Doing Business’ in the Cooperative sector, extensive use of information technology is being implemented. Computerisation of the Central Registrar’s Office so as to create a digital ecosystem for Multi-State Cooperative Societies. A centrally sponsored project for computerisation of RCS Offices has been approved by the Government. So far, proposals from 33 states/UTs have been received for the project, out of which 30 have been sanctioned. To strengthen the long-term cooperative credit structure, the project of computerisations of 1,851 units of Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (ARDBs) spread across 13 states/UTs has been approved by the Government.
