Primary Agricultural Credit Societies will get priority in allotment of new petrol, diesel dealerships: Centre

New Delhi [India], April 12 : The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on Wednesday, agreed to convert existing wholesale petrol and diesel dealership licensed under Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) into retail outlets, the Ministry of Cooperation said in a statement.
The decision has been taken to give priority to PACS in the allotment of new petrol and diesel dealership. Now, PACS have been made eligible to get LPG distributorship.
The outcome followed a meeting between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri here in the national capital-- a move to strengthen the PACS and increase the income of the people associated with them, the statement read.
As per the statement, the decision is part of the efforts of the Ministry of Cooperation, under the guidance of Shah, to fulfil Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Sahkar se Samridhi'. The Ministry of Cooperation is making every possible effort for the welfare of the stakeholders associated with the cooperative sector.
Under this, the existing PACS will be given a one-time option to convert their wholesale consumer pumps into retail outlets, provided they fulfil all the requirements for setting up retail outlets in rural areas, including statutory approvals and other permissions.
On the initiative of the Ministry of Cooperation, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has taken several steps to strengthen PACS and cooperative sugar mills in the country.
Now, PACS will be given priority in the allotment of new petrol and diesel dealerships, a move to strengthen the cooperative movement.
With the eligibility for LPG distributorship, the PACS will become the economic hub of rural development, the release stated.
The PACS will become a strong empowered entity after the option to convert existing wholesale consumer-licensed PACS into a retail outlet.
Priority will be given to the purchase of ethanol produced by cooperative sugar mills. Now, PACS will also be able to set up and operate retail outlets.
In addition to the above, rules will also be changed by the Ministry of Petroleum to make PACS eligible for LPG distributorship, the release added
It has also been decided that PACS will be considered under the Combined Category -2(CC 2) along with the freedom fighter and sports quota in the allotment of new petrol/diesel dealerships.
Under the Ethanol Blending Program, the Ministry of Petroleum will ensure that cooperative sugar mills are given priority for ethanol procurement at par with other private companies.
"To strengthen the cooperative movement in the country, the Ministry of Cooperation has also taken several other important steps to strengthen the PACS, such as Model Bylaws for PACS," the statement read.
By accepting these Model Bylaws, around 1 lakh PACS across the country will become the pivot of rural economic development and will be able to function as multi-dimensional units. They will help in increasing the income of more than 13 crore farmers of the country through more than 25 activities.
Further in the direction of empowerment of PACS, under the Centrally Sponsored Project of the Ministry of Cooperation, the Computerization of PACS is currently going on, which will enable PACS to be linked with NABARD through national software.
Along with this, the Ministry of Cooperation has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, NABARD and CSC e-Governance Services India Limited, under which more than 300 e-services of CSCs will be made available to the people in rural areas through PACS.
Apart from this, the Ministry of Cooperation has also set a target of setting up 2 lahks Multipurpose PACS and Primary Dairy/Fisheries Cooperative Societies covering all Panchayats/Villages in the next five years.
The cooperative societies have also been included as 'buyers' and various schemes of the Government of India are also being decentralized at the level of PACS, the release further said.