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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath underlined the role of cooperatives in driving inclusive growth, transparency and rural prosperity, announcing a major interest subvention for small and marginal farmers while inaugurating the Youth Cooperative Conference and UP Cooperative Expo-2025 in Lucknow on Sunday.
Addressing the conference, organised under the International Year of Cooperatives-2025 on the theme "The Power of Cooperation, the Progress of Uttar Pradesh", the Chief Minister said digitisation and e-governance had transformed the cooperative ecosystem in the state. "With the help of digitisation and e-governance, we have created a corruption-free ecosystem. We have advanced in the cooperative sector in terms of transparency and accountability," he said, positioning technology-led reforms as the backbone of institutional credibility. In a significant policy announcement aimed at easing credit access for farmers, Yogi Adityanath said the state government is moving towards reducing the interest rate of loans provided by the Uttar Pradesh Cooperative Rural Development Bank (LDB). "We are moving towards reducing the interest rate of the Uttar Pradesh Cooperative Rural Development Bank. This loan will now be available at 6%, with the state government contributing to the remaining amount," he said. The benefit, he added, will be extended to small and marginal farmers under the Chief Minister's Kisan Samriddhi Yojana. "Through the LDB, we will provide this loan to farmers at 6% interest, and the government will contribute the remaining amount," he reiterated. Officials said the Expo showcased cooperative innovations, youth participation models and agri-linked value chains, with a focus on employment generation and rural entrepreneurship. The Chief Minister stressed that empowering youth through cooperatives would accelerate Uttar Pradesh's journey towards self-reliance. Earlier in the day, Yogi Adityanath chaired a meeting at the BJP office in Lucknow to review preparations for the inauguration of Rashtra Prerna Sthal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, scheduled for December 25. The meeting reviewed logistics, security arrangements and coordination to ensure smooth conduct of the programme. The Chief Minister said the landmark project, to be dedicated to the nation on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee, would "emerge as a powerful symbol of national consciousness, cultural heritage, and pride." Vajpayee's birth anniversary is observed nationwide on December 25. (ANI)
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