Nabard to highlight co-op role in RuPay implementation

The initiative of South Canara District Central Cooperative (SCDCC) Bank Ltd to make primary agricultural cooperative societies (PACS) as part of the payment system under the RuPay Kisan credit card will be taken as a model by Nabard.

GR Chintala, Chief General Manager of Nabard, Bangalore, told Business Line here on Saturday that the Nabard will issue a circular in this regard in another one-and-half months.

The initiatives of Raigad and Rampur district central cooperative banks in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, respectively, will also be showcased as models. Highlighting the SCDCC Bank model, he said both the tiers of cooperative banking have retained their identity while implementing RuPay cards.

Here PACS, under SCDCC Bank’s jurisdiction, directly give loans to farmers. For the implementation of RuPay card, these societies open accounts in the books of SCDCC Bank.

Though the accounts are maintained at SCDCC Bank, the funds are routed in such a way that the farmer need not approach the SCDCC Bank branch. He said that the farmer will continue to transact at the micro ATMs at PACS level.

In Raigad, farmers are the members of PACS but they have their loan accounts at the branches of DCCB (district central cooperative bank). All the accounts are transacted through the DCCB in Raigad.

The Raigad model will be suited for those districts where the loans to farmers are extended directly through DCCB branches.

Those districts that follow the practice of extending loans to farmers through PACS can study the SCDCC Bank model.

He said that 167 PACS come under SCDCC Bank. It has jurisdiction over the revenue districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. The boards of 163 PACS have given their nod for being a part of the implementation of RuPay Kisan credit cards to farmers.

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