Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Wednesday, said that the One District One Products (ODOPs) from all the 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh should be graded and postage stamps should be released on them to get the products global recognition.

Yogi said that every countryman was happy to see the progress of Uttar Pradesh, while the world was surprised because before 2017, there was an atmosphere of despair, frustration and anarchy in the state.

Addressing a MSME mega loan distribution program organised at Lok Bhavan in which of Rs 51,000 crore  were distributed, the chief minister said, “UP is heading towards becoming the largest economy in the country with the highest growth rate and economic development rate.”

Emphasising the importance of teamwork, he said that when people work collectively, the desired results are achieved. “We have entered the year 2024. In these past seven years, the state has jumped from its position of sixth-seventh economy to become the second-largest economy in the country today,” he remarked.

During the event, Chief Minister Yogi distributed the first installment for the construction of Pledge Parks in Mathura, Amroha, Sitapur and Meerut under the PLEDGE Scheme.

He also inaugurated three Common Facility Centres in Saharanpur, Moradabad, and Sambhal under the ODOP scheme and handed over the approval letter to the CFC team of Kaushambi.

The chief minister also distributed cheques and tool kits to a dozen beneficiaries of ODOP and Vishwakarma Shram Samman schemes. Under the Mission Shakti, he handed over the keys of e-rickshaws to women.

Chief Minister Yogi said that law and order had improved remarkably in the state, making every individual, including women, daughters, businessmen and investors, feel safe.

This is also reflected in UP emerging as the top destination for investments in the country, he added.

He said that the state had received investment proposals of Rs 40 lakh crore in the Global Investors Summit (GIS-23) which would directly contribute in generating employment for more than 1.10 crore youths.

UP is the first state to actively support the Vocal for Local campaign initiated by the Central government, he pointed out.

Highlighting the contribution of various schemes, he said the MSME sector had given a new identity to Uttar Pradesh while the ODOP scheme had empowered micro, small and medium enterprises, providing a new direction to traditional entrepreneurs who used to migrate for lack of opportunities in the past. He said the scheme had made the state an export hub, with exports increasing almost three times.

The chief minister said that the ODOP products should not be confined to coffee table books, adding that postage stamps should be released for the product of each district.

“Efforts should be made for this because it will provide us global recognition. Every district’s product should also be graded so that information about good products can be conveyed. Combining it with packaging and technology will get the products global recognition,” he asserted.

Chief Minister Yogi said that UP was the first state to introduce the ODOP, Vishwakarma Shram Samman Yojana, and PLEDGE Scheme, pointing out that the schemes had led to significant growth in the MSME units in the state as it had 96 lakh MSME units today.

He urged bankers to provide substantial loans to small capital holders for less risks of loss of capital, adding that it will also boost the investors’ business and bankers’ confidence in small capital holders, thereby leading to prosperity in the state.

“The result of the foresighted thinking of bankers and the government is that the state, which had a CDO ratio of 43 to 44 per cent, has now increased to 56 to 57 per cent. It should be our goal to increase it to 60 per cent in this financial year and 65 per cent in the next financial year,” Yogi added.

He said that cheques were distributed during the programme to women and men under the ODOP scheme who wanted to work in different sectors. “Therefore, we must live up to their expectations. Appropriate platforms should be provided for their training so that happiness comes into the lives of every individual in society,” he remarked.