K M Dayashankar
KARIMNAGAR, JULY 12, 2024: NAFSCOB and Karimnagar DCB chairman Mr Konduru Ravinder Rao has said that the government has taken up the Common Service Centre (CSC) to provide services to the farmers and others in the rural areas at their doorstep and also strengthen Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS).
“The idea behind the CSC is to provide services to the members of PACS and also provide employment to the local youth. The PACS should diversify its businesses to reap riches and provide more employment to locals in the rural areas”, he stated.
Participating as chief guest at the Training cum awareness programme on CSCs for secretaries and system operators of PACS of Karimnagar DCCB in Karimnagar town on Friday, Mr Ravinder Rao said that the Karimnagar DCCB was well ahead in the diversification of PACS as part of converting them into multi-service centres (MSC) with the support of NABARD. Stating that the integrated Karimnagar district was potential for increasing business activities, he said that the sky is limit for doing business by the PACS.
Quoting examples of Kerala state PACS where they were doing business of conducting funerals, construction of buildings, bridges and even lending loans to the government to construct Kochi airport, he called upon the PACS to explore the abundant opportunities to increase business. He said that the diversification of PACS was the need of the hour to increase its revenues and strengthen the system. He said 124 PACS of the district have registered with CSC and appealed them to do some activity and benefit the rural people and also earn income.
Resource persons Nagaraju – Peddapally District Manager, CSC, Arun Babu, Rajanna Sircilla District Manager, CSC and Sridhar & Kranthi VLEs, have imparted various skills and explained about over 300 services being provided by CSC. Explaining about free legal aid for land disputes and women related issues through tele-conferencing, they said that CSC can also home deliver medicines to the people and get commissions and provide medicines at 20 per cent less rate than the MRP. They also empowered about the national pension scheme, insurance schemes, purchase of fertilizers etc.
They educated about the services provided by CSCs such as Agriculture Services, Legal Services, Travel & Tourism Services, Education & Skill Services, Mission Karmayogi, Insurance – Life & Non Life, PACS Services, Aadhaar enable payment system (AEPs), CIBIL and others such as passports etc. They said that the CSCs were providing services on part with Mee Seva centres in rural areas. DCCB CEO N Satyanarayana Rao, Vuturu PACS chairman Pradeep Reddy, general manager B Sridhar, PACS development centre resource person G Satyanarayana and others were also present.
