The Government of India has embarked on an ambitious mission to revolutionize grain storage infrastructure through the creation of the World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in the Cooperative Sector. The initiative, approved on May 31, 2023, is being implemented as a pilot project to enhance agricultural storage facilities at the Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) level.
This plan intends to integrate existing schemes such as the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure Scheme (AMI), Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM), and the Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PMFME) to create a decentralized and efficient grain storage ecosystem across the country.
In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah highlighted the progress made under the scheme including the construction of godowns in 11 PACS across Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Telangana, Karnataka, Tripura, Assam, and Uttarakhand, creating a total storage capacity of 9,750 metric tonnes (MT).
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The highest storage capacity of 3,000 MT has been developed in Amravati, Maharashtra, while the godowns at other locations carry a capacity between 250 MT to 1,500 MT.
| S.No. | State | District | Name of PACS / Cooperative Society | Capacity of Godown (MT) |
| 1 | Maharashtra | Amravati | Neripanglai Vividh Karyakari Sahakari Sanstha | 3,000 |
| 2 | Uttar Pradesh | Mirzapur | Bahudeshiya Prathamik Grameen Sahakari Samiti Limited, Kotwa Panday | 1,500 |
| 3 | Madhya Pradesh | Balaghat | Bahudeshiya Prathamik Krishi Saakh Sahakari Society Maryadit Parswada | 500 |
| 4 | Gujarat | Ahmedabad | The Chandranagar Group Seva Sahakari Mandli Limited | 750 |
| 5 | Tamil Nadu | Theni | Silamarathupatti Primary Agriculture Credit Society | 1,000 |
| 6 | Rajasthan | Sri Ganganagar | Ghumudwali Gram Seva Sahakari Samiti Limited | 250 |
| 7 | Telangana | Karimnagar | Primary Agriculture Credit Society Limited, Gambhiropet | 500 |
| 8 | Karnataka | Bidar | Primary Agriculture Cooperative Federation Limited, Ekamba | 1,000 |
| 9 | Tripura | Gomati | Khilpara Primary Agriculture Credit Society Limited | 250 |
| 10 | Assam | Kamrup | 2 No. Pub Bongshar G.P.S.S Limited | 500 |
| 11 | Uttarakhand | Dehradun | Bahudeshiya Kisan Seva Sahakari Samiti Limited, Sahaspur | 500 |
| Total | 9,750 MT |
Additionally, foundation stones have been laid for 500 additional PACS under the pilot project and a total of 575 PACS have been identified for development across various States and Union Territories. In Karnataka, for instance, 128 PACS have already been set up, moving towards the target of 218 PACS by FY 2028-29.
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| State | Identified PACS / LAMPS |
| Maharashtra | 258 |
| Gujarat | 47 |
| Tripura | 8 |
| Haryana | 11 |
| Odisha | 78 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 24 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 11 |
| Rajasthan | 100 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 38 |
| Total | 575 |
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The initiative also aligns with the broader vision of strengthening 2 lakh multipurpose PACS, Dairy, and Fishery Cooperative Societies, aiming to establish a cooperative structure at the grassroots level.
Furthermore, the scheme is expected to minimize transportations costs and inefficiencies in the food grain supply chain by integrating the decentralized grain storage infrastructure and the grain procurement process through PACS. The success of the pilot project will determine the feasibility of scaling up the initiative, reinforcing the cooperative sector’s role in the country’s food security ecosystem.
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