GORAKHPUR, Sept. 26 -- Kaushalya Devi, popularly known as Lakhpati Didi from Chauri Chaura town in Gorakhpur district, received national recognition on Thursday when Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally interacted with her during the third edition of UPITS in Greater Noida and praised her success story. A shareholder in the Shri Baba Gorakhnath Kripa Milk Producer Organization (MPO), set up in December 2022 with support from chief minister Yogi Adityanath and National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), Kaushalya has earned nearly Rs.14 lakh in just 18 months through dairy farming and milk collection. Sharing her experience after the event, Kaushalya said: "The Prime Minister asked me my name, address, and about my work. I told him how my life changed after joining the MPO. Earlier, I had only two cattle, but today I own 14. In just one and a half years, I have earned nearly Rs.14 lakh. Six months ago, the MPO also installed a biogas unit at my home. Since then, I have not had to buy an LPG cylinder as my kitchen now runs entirely on biogas." She credited the state government's initiatives for helping transform her life. Her achievement had earlier been appreciated at a programme in Lucknow. Underlining the organisation's rapid growth, chief executive officer Dhananjay Sahni said: "In just 18 months, 31,000 women across the Gorakhpur division have joined as shareholders. The MPO has achieved a turnover of Rs.115 crore and disbursed Rs.93 crore directly to these women. So far, 1,841 women have become 'Lakhpati Didis.'" The MPO now operates across Gorakhpur, Maharajganj, Deoria and Kushinagar districts, collecting around 65,000 litres of milk daily through over 500 pooling points, with supplies sent to Mother Dairy. Alongside financial returns, women shareholders receive cattle feed, mineral mixtures, veterinary services, artificial insemination facilities and training in better livestock management and milk production, he explained. Many women associated with the MPO now earn an average of Rs.7,000-Rs.8,000 per month from home, with thousands steadily moving toward financial independence. The success of Kausalya Devi and other shareholders highlights the strength of collective effort, government support and cooperative models in empowering rural women and driving economic growth, he added....