Yogi Adityanath launches Bharat Taxi, farmer loan scheme in Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday launched Bharat Taxi service and the Mukhyamantri Krishak Samriddhi Yojana, under which small and marginal farmers will get long-term loans at a reduced interest rate of six per cent.

Bharat Taxi, the country's first cooperative-led ride-hailing platform, is operated by Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited (STCL).

Bharat Taxi is already operating in Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Varanasi and Prayagraj, Adityanath said at the launch programme here.

Describing the initiative as a means of providing social security and dignity to drivers, he said, "Till now, there was no security for them. They were left to fend for themselves. The poor person's dignity was also disregarded."

Under the service, drivers joining Bharat Taxi will not have to pay commission and will get social security coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh, he said.

"For the first time, through Bharat Taxi, when a person puts the Bharat Taxi brand on his vehicle, he will feel proud that this taxi is not merely for carrying passengers; it is the taxi of the entire country," Adityanath said.

He said the service had entered into MoUs with Lucknow airport, Lucknow Metro and Lucknow Police.

Calling for expansion of the initiative, the chief minister said Bharat Taxi could also generate employment for "lakhs of youths".

"We can make the best use of Bharat Taxi," he said, adding the proposed rural bus service could also be developed along similar lines.

Under the Mukhyamantri Krishak Samriddhi Yojana, the interest rate on long-term loans provided through the Uttar Pradesh Cooperative Rural Development Bank has been reduced from 11 per cent to six per cent, Adityanath said.

"We said that this interest rate should be reduced. The result of reducing the interest rate is before you today. We have brought it down to six per cent," he said.

The scheme aims to provide loan facilities to five lakh small and marginal farmers over the coming years, he said.

"If the farmer is prosperous, India will be prosperous. If the farmer is happy, India will be happy," Adityanath said.

Five Bharat Taxi drivers were presented share certificates, while five beneficiaries of the farmer scheme received loan sanction letters at the programme.

The CM also launched the cooperation department's Urvarak Setu mobile application and the Uttar Pradesh Cooperative Database Centre mobile application.

The event was attended by Union Minister of State for Cooperation and Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak and state ministers Surya Pratap Shahi, Jayendra Pratap Singh Rathore and Dayashankar Singh.

The initiatives are part of a broader push by the state and Centre to expand cooperative services, with the CM saying "the stronger the cooperative sector, the stronger India will be".

According to a government information in Parliament on August 4 this year, the objective of Bharat Taxi is not to replace any private app-based taxi aggregator, but to provide an alternative driver-centric and people-centric mobility platform based on the cooperative model wherein drivers are associated as members and stakeholders to promote their economic and social well-being, while providing consumers with safe, reliable and affordable transportation services.