Lucknow, Sep 23 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday launched Bharat Taxi and the Mukhyamantri Krishak Samriddhi Yojana, announcing measures to provide greater social security to taxi drivers and reduce the cost of credit for farmers.
Under Bharat Taxi, taxi, two-wheeler, and three-wheeler drivers can register with the platform and operate on a zero-commission model. The drivers will also receive social security cover of up to Rs 5 lakh, according to the state government.
Launching the initiatives, CM Yogi said the success of the cooperative sector depends on the quality of its leadership. He said good leadership can make cooperation a means of prosperity, while poor leadership can push it towards disorder. He also noted that, for the first time since Independence, the country has a separate Ministry of Cooperation and said its impact is now becoming visible.
The Chief Minister said taxi, two-wheeler and three-wheeler drivers had previously received little attention. Under Bharat Taxi, he said, they will be able to become part of the platform through registration without paying commission and will receive social security coverage of Rs 5 lakh.
He said the social security provision would allow drivers to work with greater confidence and a stronger sense of responsibility. “Bharat Taxi is not merely a taxi that carries passengers. It is a taxi of India, which will work to transform India’s speed into progress,” CM Yogi said.
Bharat Taxi operations have been launched in Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Varanasi and Prayagraj. Memoranda of understanding have also been signed with various institutions, including Lucknow Airport, Lucknow Metro and Lucknow Police, to facilitate its operations.
Referring to the Prayagraj Mahakumbh 2025, Yogi said thousands of young people had used their motorcycles through platforms such as Rapido to transport devotees safely to the Sangam. He said they also helped ferry passengers between the Sangam, railway station and airport, contributing to smoother traffic movement and easier transportation.
CM Yogi asked Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh to promote rural bus services along the lines of the Bharat Taxi model. He said expanding such a model could create new employment opportunities for lakhs of young people.
Launching the Mukhyamantri Krishak Samriddhi Yojana, Yogi said loans provided to farmers through the Uttar Pradesh Cooperative Rural Development Bank had earlier carried an interest rate of 11 per cent. This has now been reduced to 6 per cent.
The Chief Minister also highlighted changes in the cooperative banking sector in Uttar Pradesh. He said 16 cooperative banks had become inactive before 2017 and had their licences seized, despite thousands of crores of rupees belonging to farmers being deposited with them. According to Yogi, 15 of the 16 banks have now returned to profitability, while efforts are underway to improve the remaining bank.
He said the interest-free cash credit facility available to Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) had been increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh. He added that 54 lakh new members had joined the cooperative sector.
The state government is also strengthening digital systems to ensure timely availability of fertilisers, pesticides and other services to farmers.
During the programme, CM Yogi launched the Mukhyamantri Krishak Samriddhi Portal app and UPCDC, along with a mobile application for fertiliser services and the Cooperative Data Centre and mobile app aimed at making cooperative services more accessible.
The Chief Minister handed over share certificates of Bharat Taxi to five Saarthis and loan sanction letters to five beneficiaries of the Mukhyamantri Krishak Samriddhi Yojana.
Bharat Taxi CEO Colonel Himanshu and Adani Airport Lucknow Chief Commercial Officer Shiv Mohan exchanged MoUs signed with various institutions. Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister of State for Cooperation and Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, and other dignitaries subsequently flagged off Bharat Taxi, formally marking the launch of the service in Uttar Pradesh.
–IANS
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