Patna: Common Service Centres (CSCs) operating through Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) in Bihar are significantly enhancing access to public services in rural areas. With 4,316 PACS actively running CSCs, villagers are now able to access more than 300 services locally, eliminating the need to travel to urban areas.
In the first phase of the initiative, 4,477 PACS were computerised, while CSC IDs have so far been generated for 5,987 PACS across the state. These centres are offering a range of essential services including bookings for rail, bus, and air tickets, as well as issuing Ayushman cards, e-Shram cards, PAN cards, and Aadhaar services.
The business conducted through these CSCs has already crossed Rs 4.5 crore, underlining their utility and growing reach among rural populations. The digitalisation of PACS and integration with CSCs is being credited with empowering farmers, students, and other community members by easing access to key government and commercial services.
State Cooperative minister Dr. Prem Kumar lauded the development, describing the expansion of CSCs as a major step in making rural life more convenient. He highlighted the centres as vital in improving quality of life and access to entitlements for villagers.
Efforts are underway to operationalise CSCs in the remaining PACS where services are not yet active. Registrar of Cooperative Societies Inayat Khan has instructed all cooperative extension officers and CSC district managers to prioritise implementation in line with departmental guidelines. He also directed that in cases where the CSC ID is still under the name of a former PACS president, it should be transferred to the current manager to ensure smooth operation.
