Pithoragarh: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the Cooperative Fair in Pithoragarh on Wednesday to commemorate the International Year of Cooperatives 2025. On this occasion, he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various projects in the district worth ₹85.14 crore, including foundation stone laying projects worth ₹23.16 crore and inaugurations worth ₹61.98 crore.
Addressing the public, the Chief Minister said that the projects inaugurated and laid the foundation stone will prove to be milestones in the overall development of Pithoragarh. He said that the tradition of cooperation has been prevalent in India since ancient times. It is an effort to make people self-reliant through mutual support. The United Nations has declared the year 2025 as the “International Year of Cooperatives” to promote global cooperation and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Chief Minister said that to realize the dream of “Prosperity through Cooperation” in the country, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi decided to establish a separate Ministry of Cooperation. Today, under the leadership of Shri Amit Shah, this Ministry is developing a separate administrative, legal, and policy framework to further strengthen the cooperative movement in the country. He said that the work of computerizing multipurpose cooperative societies in the country began in Uttarakhand, and today, computerization of all 671 cooperative societies in the state has been completed. 24 cooperative societies in the state are operating as Jan Aushadhi Kendras, providing affordable and quality medicines to the rural population. 640 societies have been developed as Common Service Centers.
The Chief Minister informed that data from 3,838 cooperative societies in the state has been uploaded to the National Cooperative Database. Since February 2023, 800 new PACS, 248 new dairy societies, and 116 fisheries societies have been formed in the state. To maximize the benefits to farmers under the Millet Mission Scheme, the Uttarakhand Cooperative Federation is purchasing mandua at a rate of ₹48.86 per kilogram this year. Under the Deendayal Upadhyaya Cooperative Farmers Welfare Scheme, interest-free loans of up to ₹5 lakh are being provided to farmers and self-help groups for agricultural activities such as animal husbandry, dairy farming, fish farming, and floriculture. Interest-free crop loans of up to ₹1 lakh are also being made available to small and marginal farmers through cooperative societies.
The Chief Minister said that today, the state’s cooperative banks have deposits of over ₹16,000 crore, a testament to the growing public trust in these institutions. Women entrepreneurship is also being encouraged through cooperative societies. Over 170,000 women in the state have created history in the direction of women’s empowerment by becoming “Lakhpati Didi.”
The Chief Minister said that the construction of a medical college building in Pithoragarh is underway at a cost of over ₹750 crore. A modern multipurpose hall is being constructed at the Sports College at a cost of ₹34 crore. Construction of a grand stadium in the Berinag development block is also about to begin. New bus stations are being constructed in Askot, Gangolihat, and Dharchula, as well as a roadways workshop in Pithoragarh. Construction of various roads in the region is underway at a cost of ₹327 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. Work has been initiated to connect Pithoragarh with Haldwani, Dehradun, and Delhi by air. Work to modernize the Pithoragarh airport at a cost of ₹450 crore will soon begin.
On this occasion, Minister of State, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India, Mr. Ajay Tamta, MLA Mr. Bishan Singh Chuphal, Mayor of Pithoragarh Mrs. Kalpana Devlal, Chairman of the District Panchayat of Pithoragarh Mr. Jitendra Prasad, BJP District President Mr. Girish Joshi, District Magistrate of Pithoragarh Mr. Ashish Bhatgani, Superintendent of Police Ms. Rekha Yadav, along with other public representatives and local residents were present.
