Chief Minister Inaugurates and Lays Foundation Stones for Projects Worth ₹85.14 Crore in Pithoragarh

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for various development projects worth ₹85.14 crore in Pithoragarh on Wednesday. The event coincided with the inauguration of the Cooperative Fair, organized to mark the International Year of Cooperatives 2025.

The Chief Minister inaugurated projects worth ₹61.98 crore and laid foundation stones for projects amounting to ₹23.16 crore. Addressing the gathering, Dhami said that these initiatives would serve as milestones in the holistic development of Pithoragarh district.

Highlighting India’s long-standing cooperative tradition, the Chief Minister said that cooperation has been an integral part of Indian culture since ancient times — a system aimed at mutual assistance and self-reliance. He noted that the United Nations has declared 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives to promote global cooperation and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Dhami emphasized that to realize the vision of “Prosperity through Cooperation,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi created a separate Ministry of Cooperation. Under Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah’s leadership, the ministry has been developing an administrative, legal, and policy framework to strengthen India’s cooperative movement.

He added that Uttarakhand was the first state to begin computerization of multipurpose cooperative societies, and today, all 671 cooperative societies in the state have been fully digitized. Currently, 24 cooperative societies function as Jan Aushadhi Kendras, providing affordable, high-quality medicines to rural citizens, while 640 societies have been developed as Common Service Centers (CSCs).

The Chief Minister informed that the data of 3,838 cooperative societies from Uttarakhand has been uploaded to the National Cooperative Database. Since February 2023, 800 new Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), 248 dairy cooperatives, and 116 fisheries cooperatives have been established in the state.

Under the Millet Mission Scheme, the Uttarakhand Cooperative Federation is purchasing mandua (finger millet) from farmers at ₹48.86 per kilogram, ensuring better returns. Additionally, through the Deendayal Upadhyay Cooperative Farmer Welfare Scheme, farmers and self-help groups (SHGs) are being provided interest-free loans of up to ₹5 lakh for activities like animal husbandry, dairy, fisheries, and floriculture. Small and marginal farmers are also being given interest-free crop loans of up to ₹1 lakh through cooperative societies.

Dhami said that cooperative banks in the state now hold deposits exceeding ₹16,000 crore, reflecting the public’s growing trust in these institutions. He added that cooperatives are also playing a crucial role in promoting women’s entrepreneurship. Over 1.7 lakh women in the state have become “Lakhpati Didis”, setting new benchmarks in women’s empowerment.

The Chief Minister further announced that a medical college building is under construction in Pithoragarh at a cost exceeding ₹750 crore. A modern multipurpose hall is being built at the Sports College for ₹34 crore, while a new stadium is set to come up in Berinag block.

New bus stations are also being built in Askot, Gangolihat, and Dharchula, along with a roadways workshop in Pithoragarh. Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, roads worth ₹327 crore are being constructed in the district.

Pithoragarh has been connected by air services to Haldwani, Dehradun, and Delhi, and soon, the Pithoragarh Airport will be developed into a modern facility at a cost of ₹450 crore.

The event was attended by Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Ajay Tamta, MLA Bishan Singh Chufal, Pithoragarh Mayor Kalpana Dewlal, District Panchayat Chairman Jitendra Prasad, BJP District President Girish Joshi, District Magistrate Ashish Bhatgain, Superintendent of Police Rekha Yadav, and several public representatives and local citizens.

(Issued by the Department of Information and Public Relations)