India, Dec. 17 -- The Government of India has issued a release:

The Government of India on 15th February, 2023, has approved the Plan for "Strengthening of Cooperative Movement in the Country and Deepening its Reach up to the Grassroots". The Plan entails establishment of new multipurpose Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) or primary dairy/ fishery cooperative societies covering all the Panchayats/ Villages in the country in the next five years, through convergence of various existing Government of India (GoI) Schemes, including Dairy Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF), National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD), Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF), etc. This plan is being implemented with the support of National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD), National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), National Level Cooperative Federations and State Governments.

As on 15th November, 2025, a total of 30,083 new Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), dairy and fisheries cooperative societies have been registered across the country under this scheme, and 15,793 existing dairy and fisheries cooperative societies have been strengthened. As on date, a total of 255,881 Gram Panchayats (GPs) are covered by PACS; 87,159 Gram Panchayats are covered by Dairy Cooperative Societies; and 29,964 Gram Panchayats are covered by Fisheries Cooperative Societies. In the State of Odisha total 2,039 new Multipurpose (M)-PACS (1537 nos.), Dairy (451 nos.) and Fisheries (51 nos.) Cooperative Societies have been registered and 209 Dairy Cooperative Societies are strengthened. In case of the Puri district of Odisha, 59 nos. new Cooperative Societies have been registered including 39 PACS, 13 Dairy, 07 Fisheries Cooperatives.

Districts with strong cooperative sectors like dairy, fisheries and handicrafts benefit under the Nationwide Cooperative Expansion Plan as per roadmap envisaged in the National Cooperative Policy, 2025 for all-round development of the cooperative sector. The Government has not announced a district-specific programme including Puri but it has rolled out a Comprehensive National Plan for "Strengthening of Cooperative Movement in the Country and Deepening its Reach up to the Grassroots" to establish and strengthen cooperatives in every uncovered panchayat and village across the country.

The above answer was given by Shri Rajeev Ranjan Singh alias Lallan Singh, Minister of Fisheries,Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, in response to a question asked in the Rajya Sabha.

JP

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