Bihar Identifies 36 PACS Under World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan

Bihar Advances World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan with 36 PACS Approval
The Government of Bihar has identified 36 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) under the World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in the cooperative sector. These PACS have received approval from the respective District Cooperative Development Committees (DCDC). However, the state has noted that PACS are yet to be identified for implementation of the scheme in Patna district, according to an official statement from the Ministry of Cooperation dated March 25, 2026.

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Convergence of Central Schemes

The ambitious storage initiative is being implemented through convergence of multiple Government of India schemes, including the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure (AMI) Scheme, Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM), and Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme.

Project Cost and Subsidy Support

The total estimated project cost for the 36 approved PACS stands at Rs 104.3 crore. Under the AMI scheme, PACS are eligible for a 33 percent subsidy on project costs for constructing foodgrain storage facilities, along with an additional one-third subsidy on eligible costs for ancillary infrastructure such as internal roads, weighbridges, and boundary walls. Further financial support is extended through interest subvention under the AIF scheme for loans taken to build storage facilities.

Interest Relief and NABARD Support

The plan is also supported by NABARD’s special refinance scheme, which significantly reduces the financial burden on cooperatives. When combined with the 3 percent interest subvention under AIF, the effective interest rate on loans for PACS is reduced to as low as 1 percent under World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan, according to the statement.

Loan Sanctions So Far

“According to the State of Bihar, under the World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan, loan amount of Rs 71.63 crores have been sanctioned so far by concerned District Central Cooperative Banks and the Bihar State Cooperative Bank,” the Ministry said.