The Government of India has approved the computerization of 1,851 Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (ARDBs) across 13 States/UTs to strengthen the long-term cooperative credit structure.
NABARD is the implementing agency, and proposals from 10 States/UTs have been sanctioned. So far, ?5.08 crore has been released to 9 States/UTs in FY 2023-24 and FY 2024-25 for hardware procurement, digitization, and support system setup.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah stated that 1,406 ARDB units are currently being computerized. However, West Bengal and Kerala have not received any approvals, while Rajasthan (163 ARDBs) and Haryana (90 ARDBs), despite identification, are yet to receive funds. Jammu and Kashmir has withdrawn from the scheme due to financial constraints.
Simultaneously, the government is computerizing 67,930 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) across 30 States/UTs, with 50,455 PACS already onboarded onto ERP software, and hardware procurement completed nationwide. These initiatives aim to modernize rural credit systems, ensuring efficiency and transparency.
