Virendra Singh Rawat / Lucknow
Aligning with the pro-farmer agenda, the Uttar Pradesh government has disbursed crop loss relief ex gratia of nearly Rs 4,000 crore to 4.8 million farmers over the last five years.
In his fresh directive, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered for immediate payment of compensation to farmers whose crops have been damaged by recent inclement weather including hailstorm or excessive rain.
He asked for an effective implementation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and notifying the main crops of the kharif and rabi seasons in all the districts at the gram panchayat level. The CM mandated officials to ensure that more and more farmers were linked to the scheme.
According to a government spokesman, relief compensation totaling nearly Rs 4,000 crore was disbursed to more than 4.8 million farmers in UP during the kharif crop period between 2017–18 and 2022–23 under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.
The Yojana has the provision for financial assistance in the form of insurance cover to farmers in case of damage to the crop due to natural calamities, diseases and pests.
UP is largely an agrarian economy and agriculture forms the backbone of the state’s socioeconomic landscape, while farmers’ support is vital for any political party aspiring to capture power in the state.
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As such, farm issues always occupy the central position in the agenda of parties especially during election times.