Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath hailed the Mahakumbh 2025 in Prayagraj as a testament of cooperation. Marking the Republic Day, he officially inaugurated the International Year of Cooperatives 2025 from his official residence, making Uttar Pradesh the first state to kick off this global initiative.

The occasion was symbolised by the release of tricolour balloons and flagging off the ‘Run for Cooperation’ marathon, which witnessed enthusiastic participation from youths.

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Highlighting Mahakumbh’s seamless management, he shared that on January 26, an estimated 2.5 to 3 crore devotees gathered at the holy confluence for a sacred dip, with the entire process operating effortlessly on the foundation of mutual participation. “This is the greatest example of cooperation, deeply rooted in India’s cultural ethos,” he remarked. During the event, he inaugurated warehouses with a capacity of 5,000 metric tonnes in Sultanpur and 15,000 metric tonnes in Kaushambi.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also extended Republic Day greetings and paid tribute to the countless known and unsung heroes of India’s freedom movement on the occasion. He emphasized that cooperation is an evolved form of collaboration, stating that building a self-reliant India requires embedding cooperation into our daily lives. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reinvigorating the cooperative movement, noting the establishment of the Ministry of Cooperation under the leadership of Home Minister Amit Shah.

The movement is now empowering farmers, women, and youth nationwide, he remarked. The Chief Minister highlighted the transformative progress of the cooperative movement in Uttar Pradesh over recent years. He pointed to efforts such as reviving cooperative societies to drive village development and farmer self-reliance, as well as rejuvenating district-level cooperative banks and aligning them with key developmental goals.

He announced plans to increase the credit limit of cooperative banks from Rs 10 lakh and encouraged them to adopt digital payment systems, which would benefit farmers and youth alike.

The Chief Minister also outlined steps toward making every gram panchayat in Uttar Pradesh self-reliant. He revealed plans to establish model shops in every village, transforming traditional Fair Price Shops into outlets offering daily essentials—excluding narcotics—alongside the construction of new warehouses.

On this occasion, he inaugurated a 15,000 metric tonne warehouse in Kaushambi and a 5,000 metric tonne warehouse in Sultanpur. This initiative, he stated, will eventually expand to every block and gram panchayat across the state. Praising the cooperative department’s contributions, CM Yogi expressed optimism about the ongoing efforts to strengthen grassroots-level development through cooperation.