LUCKNOW, Sept. 13 -- Union minister of state for cooperation Murlidhar Mohol on Friday launched the 'M-PACS Membership Maha Abhiyan 2025' in Lucknow to empower rural development and farmers' welfare by strengthening the cooperative movement. The event was organised at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan. A digital portal and a toll-free number (1800212884444) have been launched to facilitate M-PACS membership. The members will receive a unique ID while non-members will be encouraged to join and benefit from the initiative. Addressing the gathering, the minister emphasised the significance of cooperation in building a better world and highlighted the role of cooperative institutions in rural development. He said that the ministry of cooperation had launched several historical initiatives, including developing PACS as multi-purpose institutions, establishing two lakh new PACS and ensuring representation of women and vulnerable sections. JPS Rathore, UP minister of cooperation, said that the membership campaign was a historic step towards empowering the rural economy and making farmers self-reliant. The state government has initiated a solar rooftop electrification scheme, under which solar panels have been installed in 258 M-PACS premises. The UIDAI has included the UP Cooperative Bank in its panel as a registrar and enrolment agency. Each M-PACS has been provided with financial assistance of up to Rs 10 lakh for repairing old warehouses. Animal husbandry and dairy development minister Dharmapal Singh stressed the importance of rural development and the role of farmers in the country's prosperity. The event was also attended by Vaibhav Srivastava, managing director, PCDCF; Anil Kumar Singh, additional commissioner and registrar of cooperative societies; and RK Kulshrestha, managing director, Uttar Pradesh Cooperative Bank....