Dehradun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that Uttarakhand is the first model state in the country to digitize cooperative societies. The 670 cooperative societies operating in the state have been completely digitized. Earlier, farmers had to visit offices repeatedly, but now information about schemes is available online.
He said that cooperative societies are no longer limited to providing loans. Instead, they are providing affordable medicines through Jan Aushadhi Kendras, and insurance, pension, electricity bill payment, Aadhaar and other digital services through CSC centers.
On Tuesday, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) Cooperative Ministry Fair at Rangers Ground under the International Year of Cooperatives – 2025. Dhami said that Uttarakhand’s cooperatives are a strong symbol of rural self-reliance, self-respect, and self-employment.
Cooperation has been a fundamental principle of the Indian way of life. The United Nations has declared 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives. A resolution has been taken to realize the schemes under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The formation of the Ministry of Cooperation is a historic decision. The work of advancing the schemes is being done under the leadership of Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah.
He said that the government is working to make farmers, women’s self-help groups, and cooperative institutions self-reliant by providing interest-free loans under the Deendayal Upadhyaya Cooperative Farmers Welfare Scheme. The Lakhpati Didi scheme is being run to empower women. Rajya Sabha member Naresh Bansal, Cabinet Minister Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat, MLA Rajpur Khajan Das, MLA Cantt Savita Kapoor, and others were present on the occasion.
NABARD to provide ₹65,000 crore for rural development
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that NABARD plays a crucial role in rural development. A budget of ₹65,916 crore has been estimated for rural development in 2026-27, which is 20.50 percent more than the previous year. At the district level, there is a roadmap for the Potential Linked Credit Plan (PLP) for agriculture and rural development. Agriculture, micro, small and medium enterprises, infrastructure, and climate change are key components. The bank is working on preparing the documents to finalize the Annual Credit Plan (ACP).
