Garhwal Post Bureau
Pauri Garhwal, 7 Oct: In celebration of the International Year of Cooperatives, 2025, a district–level Cooperative Fair was inaugurated on Tuesday at the Awas Vikas Ground, Srinagar (Pauri). Speaker of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly, Ritu Bhushan Khanduri inaugurated the fair as the chief guest by lighting the ceremonial lamp.
The Speaker inspected departmental stalls set up on the first day of the fair and, while addressing the gathering, said that cooperation is not limited to economic activity alone but is the soul of social harmony and rural development. She said that as women move forward through self-help groups, it signifies the progress of not just families but the entire society. She added that fairs like these help women entrepreneurs get fair prices and market linkages for their products, enabling them to become financially empowered and role models for self-reliant generations.
On the occasion, Cabinet Minister Dr Dhan Singh Rawat said that the cooperative movement is the backbone of rural development. He emphasized that the State Government is transforming cooperatives from mere schemes into a broad-based movement for employment, entrepreneurship, and rural prosperity. He also said that the government’s goal is to connect every village with cooperatives to open pathways for local products to reach national and international markets.
Dr Rawat added that cooperatives are creating new employment opportunities for rural youth and ensuring financial security for women’s groups. So far, 30 lakh people have been associated with the cooperative network, and through such fairs, the target is to expand it to 50 lakh beneficiaries.
During the event, the Speaker and Cabinet Minister distributed cheques of ₹5 lakh each to three self-help groups working in the livestock sector — Dhari Devi SHG (Pokhri), Sukhro Devi SHG (Sukhro), and Nirmal SHG (Padampur Sukhro). In addition, livestock and poultry farmers Anup Singh, Arjun Singh, Manvendra Singh, and Jaipal Singh received cheques of ₹1.50 lakh each, while Premlal, Rajendra Singh, and Sushila Devi were given ₹1.60 lakh each.
Chief Development Officer, Girish Gunwant said that cooperative fairs provide visibility and sustainable markets for local products. He added that organic goods, handicrafts, dairy, livestock, and agriculture-based products made by local women and youth groups are increasing rural incomes and creating employment at the local level. The CDO said that the administration aims to connect rural products directly with markets through cooperative fairs to accelerate prosperity and self-reliance in rural areas.
People visiting the fair actively engaged with stalls set up by departments and institutions including Agriculture, Horticulture, Fisheries, Dairy, Animal Husbandry, UREDA, Industries, Tourism, Social Welfare, Health, Cooperation, and Employment Services.
It is noteworthy that the Cooperation Department of Uttarakhand is organizing this Cooperative Fair in Srinagar from October 7 to October 15, 2025.
Among those present were Additional Registrar (Cooperatives) Anand Shukla, Project Director (DRDA) Vivek Kumar Upadhyay, District Development Officer Manvinder Kaur, former Garhwal Mandal Chairman Sampat Singh Rawat, former DCB Chairman Narendra Singh Rawat, current UCF Chairman Matbar Singh Rawat, District Assistant Registrar Pan Singh Rana, IFFCO Director Umesh Tripathi, Mahavir Prasad Kukreti, and Manoj Patwal, along with a large number of local residents.
