GORAKHPUR, July 13 -- 'Lakhpati Didi'-a title given to women earning over Rs.1 lakh annually-is gaining recognition in rural Eastern Uttar Pradesh, thanks to the chief minister Yogi Adityanath-sponsored Baba Gorakhnath Kripa Milk Production Organisation (MPO). This initiative is transforming the lives of women by empowering them through milk production and dairy entrepreneurship. Chief development officer Sanjay Meena stated that 18,074 self-help groups (SHGs) had been formed under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM). Among them, seven milk chilling centres were being operated by the Gorakhnath Kripa MPO, he added. Across the four districts of the Gorakhpur division-Gorakhpur, Maharajganj, Deoria, and Kushinagar-1,445 women have already crossed the Rs.1 lakh annual income mark. One such inspiring figure is Kaushalya Devi, a key member of the organisation, who was recently invited by the animal husbandry department to share her journey at a programme in Lucknow. Kaushalya expanded her dairy herd from 3 to 10 cows, which supply 70 litres of milk daily and earn her Rs.11.5 lakh annually. The initiative was inspired by the success of the Balini Milk Producer Company in Bundelkhand. Recognising its potential, CM Adityanath felicitated the Shri Baba Kripa Milk Producer Organisation under the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission. Since its formation in 2022, the MPO has made remarkable progress in 18 months. Currently, the Gorakhpur-based MPO has connected 25,000 women from 500 villages. With over 500 milk pooling points, the organisation contributes more than 62,000 litres of milk daily. According to CEO Dhanraj Sahni, women associated with the organisation earn an average of Rs.8,000 per month while working from home. He added that CM Yogi has directed efforts to expand the number of women shareholders and increase milk collection capacity. The goal is to reach 40,000 women shareholders from 800 villages by March 2026. The organisation provides its members with cattle feed, mineral mix, mastitis testing, artificial insemination services, and training to improve animal health and milk yield. It also focuses on enhancing the leadership skills of women shareholders. Recently, dairy women from Gorakhpur and Deoria were given two-day leadership training by Sarbajit Bhattacharya and Pragya from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB)....