Section 269SS of the Act provides that no person shall take from any person any loan or deposit otherwise than by an account payee cheque or account payee bank draft or online transfer through a bank account, if the amount of such loan or deposit is Rs. 20,000 or more. Similarly, section 269T provides that no loan or deposit shall be repaid otherwise than by an account payee cheque or account payee bank draft or online transfer through a bank account, if the amount of such loan or deposit is Rs. 20,000 or more. Certain exceptions have, however, been specified in the provisions.
2. Request was received to bring parity to Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (“PACS”) and Primary Co-Operative Agricultural and Rural Development Bank (“PCARD”) for limits on cash transactions with banking companies with regards to sections 269SS and 269T of the Act as they are involved in granting loans and accepting deposits from the rural segment. Present provisions state that every person including PACS and PCARD are liable for penalty on accepting loan or deposit in cash exceeding Rs.20,000 as per Section 269SS as well as repayment of loan and deposit in cash exceeding Rs.20,000 under section 269T. Since PACS and PCARD are providing credit facilities at the grass-root level, relaxation may be made for them under the aforesaid provisions.
3. To provide relief to the low-income groups and facilitate easier conduct of business operations in such areas it has been proposed that an amendment may be made in the section 269SS of the Act by raising the limit of Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 2 lakh for PACS and PCARD. This will imply where such deposit is accepted by a primary agricultural credit society or a primary co-operative agricultural and rural development bank from its member or such loan is taken from a primary agricultural credit society or a primary co-operative agricultural and rural development bank by its member. The penalty would be leviable only if the amount of a loan or deposit is Rs. 2 lakh or more.
4. In continuation of the above, it is also proposed to amend the provisions to section 269T of the Act and increase the limit of Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 2 lakh in the case of PACS and PCARD. As a result, in a case where a deposit is paid by a PACS or a PCARD to its member or a loan is repaid to a PACS or a PCARD by its member, payment shall be made by an account payee cheque or account payee bank draft or online transfer through a bank account if the amount of such or deposit is more than Rs. 2 lakh. Penalty shall be imposable if the amount of such loan or deposit exceeds Rs. 2 lakh.
5. These amendments will take effect from 1st April, 2023.
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