Bhubaneswar, November 19: The State Government has decided to establish ‘Model PACS’ (Primary Agricultural Credit Societies) in all the 314 blocks in the State, said Co-operation Minister Pradeep Bal Samanta here on Wednesday.

Gracing the State-level celebrations of 72nd All India Cooperative Week celebrations, the Minister said highlighted the importance of cooperatives in driving sustainable development and fostering community in the rural areas.

“Co-op societies empower rural communities and promote self-reliance. Every block in the State will have a model Primary Agricultural Credit Society in the State,” said the Minister.

The Minister also expressed concern over the allegations of corruption in cooperative societies and said digitisation of PACS will be done soon to check the unethical practices.

"Allegation of corruption and scams in cooperative societies are making headlines everday. It is very unfortunate. To check this unethical practices, cooperative socities will be digitised," added the Minister.   

As per the Ministry of Cooperation, a cooperative society is a voluntary organisation where individuals with shared needs come together to achieve common economic goals. These societies are founded on principles of self-help and mutual assistance, aiming primarily to serve the interests of disadvantaged sections of society rather than to generate profits. Members pool their resources and utilise them collectively to derive shared benefits, making the cooperative structure distinct in its emphasis on community welfare.