Zero commission model for Bharat Taxi, social security boost for drivers: CM Yogi
Operations begin in Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, and Prayagraj, two- and three-wheeler drivers will also join along with taxis
Lucknow, September 23: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday launched Bharat Taxi and Chief Minister Krishak Samriddhi Yojana, taking two major steps for taxi drivers and farmers. Taxi, two-wheeler, and three-wheeler drivers will be able to join Bharat Taxi with zero commission registration. They will also receive social security of Rs 5 lakh.
Meanwhile, under the Chief Minister Krishak Samriddhi Yojana, the interest rate on loans provided to farmers by the LDB has been reduced from 11 percent to six percent.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated on this occasion that the success of cooperatives depends on who holds the helm. Good leadership makes cooperatives a vehicle for prosperity, while poor leadership can lead them to chaos. For the first time since independence, a separate Ministry of Cooperatives was established, and its results are now visible.
Chief Minister Yogi stated that previously, no one cared about taxi, two-wheeler, and three-wheeler drivers. Now, they will become part of Bharat Taxi with zero commission upon registration and receive social security of ₹5 lakh. This social security will allow drivers to work responsibly and with confidence.
He added that Bharat Taxi is not just a taxi that carries passengers. It is the taxi of the entire country, which will transform India’s pace into progress. Operations have begun in Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, and Prayagraj. MoUs have also been signed with various organizations, including Lucknow Airport, Lucknow Metro, and Lucknow Police.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while referring to the Prayagraj Mahakumbh 2025, said that lakhs of youth were transporting devotees safely to the Sangam on their bikes through Rapido. They also contributed in transporting them from Sangam to the railway station and airport. This did not disrupt traffic and people got easy transportation. He asked Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh to promote rural bus service on the lines of Bharat Taxi.
Chief Minister said that if this model is taken forward, new employment opportunities will be created for lakhs of youth.
Launching the Chief Minister’s Farmer Prosperity Scheme, Chief Minister Yogi said that farmers used to receive loans from the Uttar Pradesh Cooperative Rural Development Bank at an interest rate of 11 percent. This has now been reduced to six percent. Long-term loans have been established to ensure farmers do not face financial constraints for farming and machinery. The goal is to benefit five lakh small and marginal farmers in the next few years. Chief Minister Yogi said that if the farmer, who feeds the nation, is prosperous, India will be prosperous. The stronger the cooperative sector, the stronger the nation will be.
Yogi said that after the formation of the government in 2017, loans worth more than Rs. 36,000 crore of 86 lakh small and marginal farmers were waived. Irrigation projects pending for decades were completed. The Saryu Canal National Project took nearly 50 years to complete. Projects like Arjun Sahayak, Bansagar, and Madhya Ganga were also promoted. He said that in the last nine and a half years, 2.4 million hectares of land in the state has been connected to additional irrigation facilities. Farmers with more than 1.6 million private tube wells are being provided free electricity. Irrigation from canals and government tube wells is also free.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated that 122 sugar mills are currently operating in the state. More than 100 of these mills are paying sugarcane prices on a daily basis. Over the last nine years, farmers have been paid 3.30 lakh crore rupees for sugarcane.
He alleged that previous governments had closed 29 sugar mills and sold 21 of them at throwaway prices. He said that work has been done to provide farmers with facilities from seed to market. Pack houses have been built, food processing units have been established, and along with the formation of FPOs, technical support has been provided by agricultural science centers. Warehouses with a capacity of 50,000 metric tons are also being constructed at various locations in the state through cooperatives.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that before 2017, 16 cooperative banks in the state had become inactive and their licenses were confiscated. Thousands of crores of rupees of farmers’ deposits were deposited in them. Now, 15 of the 16 banks have returned to profit. Work is underway to improve another bank as well.
He said that PACS were previously provided with interest-free cash credit up to ₹10 lakh, which has been increased to ₹15 lakh. 5.4 million new members have joined cooperatives. Digital systems are also being strengthened to ensure timely availability of fertilizers, pesticides, and other services to farmers.
Krishak Samriddhi Portal launched, Bharat Taxi flagged off
At the event, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched the Chief Minister Krishak Samriddhi Portal app, UPCDC, by pressing a button. A mobile app for fertilizers and a Cooperative Data Center and mobile app were also launched to facilitate easy access to cooperative services. The Chief Minister handed over Bharat Taxi share certificates to five charioteers and loan approval letters to five beneficiaries of the Chief Minister’s Farmer Prosperity Scheme.
Bharat Taxi CEO Colonel Himanshu and Adani Airport Lucknow’s Chief Commercial Officer Shiv Mohan exchanged MoUs with various organizations. After this, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister of State for Cooperation and Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol and other guests flagged off Bharat Taxi.
Union Minister of State for Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, Agriculture, Agricultural Education and Agricultural Research Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, Minister of State for Cooperation (Independent Charge) JPS Rathore, Minister of State for Transport (Independent Charge) Dayashankar Singh, Chairman of Uttar Pradesh Cooperative Village Development Bank Dr. Vivek Kumar Singh Tomar, Additional Secretary of Cooperation Ministry Pankaj Kumar Bansal, Vice President of Bharat Taxi Rohit Gupta were present in the program.-
