The 2024 general election is poised to witness a significant impact from crores of farmers across Uttar Pradesh and their role is expected to be a decisive factor in fulfilling the target of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath by securing 80 out of 80 Lok Sabha seats.

BJP leaders here on Friday said that the initiatives undertaken by the double-engine government have placed the welfare of farmers at the forefront of governance. From ensuring free electricity for irrigation through tube wells to ensuring fair payment for sugarcane and the establishment of new sugar mills, the government’s commitment to farmers is evident. This proactive approach is expected to resonate with the electorate, particularly the Annadata farmers who have benefited from the government’s schemes.

Under the guidance of PM Modi and the leadership of CM Yogi, these policies have not only increased the income of farmers but have also fostered self-reliance and prosperity. As voters head to the polls, they are likely to remember these farmer-centric policies and their positive impact on their livelihoods, the leaders claimed.

BJP claims that the Yogi government of the state not only formulated schemes and policies for the farmers but also ensured their implementation. The latest example of this is providing free electricity for irrigation from private tube wells to the farmers. The Yogi government recently announced and fulfilled this commitment. This decision of the government is going to directly benefit around 1.5 crore farmers in the state and their families (approximately 6-7 crore people).

Under this, farmers will not need to pay any bills for private tube wells from April 2023 onwards. Moreover, if there are any pending bills from before, the government will introduce a plan for paying them off in interest-free and easy installments.

The government has taken significant steps for sugarcane farmers, leading to a substantial increase in their income. Under this, the state government has facilitated payment of approximately Rs 2.50 lakh crore in sugarcane prices from 2017 till now. Not only this, in the past 7 years, the state government has increased the sugarcane support price by Rs 55 per quintal. This has made sugarcane farmers in the state self-reliant and prosperous.

In addition, the government has established 3 new sugar mills since March 2017, while restarting the projects and activities has been done in 5 sugar mills, and capacity expansion in 38 sugar mills has created a total additional crushing capacity of 1,07,100 TCD, providing direct or indirect employment to around 1,17,810 people.

Furthermore, the daily crushing capacity of sugar mills, which was 7.50 lakh TCD before 2017, has now increased to 8.36 lakh TCD. In addition, large-scale crop loans have been made available to farmers in the state. Under the Kisan Credit Card scheme, by December 2023, 46.41 lakh farmers have been benefited by 2023-24.

The schemes launched by the Central Government to provide relief to Annadata farmers have also been implemented efficiently in Uttar Pradesh. Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, the Central Government took the initiative to provide Rs 6,000 per year as minimum income support to the farmers, under which a total of 12 crore farmers in the country and 2.68 crore farmers in the state are being benefited.

By February 2024, eligible farmers across the state have received Rs 68,139 crore directly into their accounts through DBT. In addition to this, financial assistance has been provided to farmers for purchasing agricultural machinery and installation of solar pumps.