Gorakhpur: UP agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi on Monday claimed that Yogi govt spent Rs 69,163 crore on farmers, over three times the expenditure of previous Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav govts combined, individually.Speaking in Gorakhpur, Shahi said govt waived loans worth Rs 36,000 crore for 86 lakh farmers at its first cabinet meeting in 2017.He said Mayawati govt spent Rs 10,207 crore on farmers, while Akhilesh govt spent around Rs 12,000 crore. UP recorded foodgrain production of 752 lakh metric tonnes last year, he added.Shahi claimed Rs 1,200 crore from funds remaining after previous govts’ distribution of central assistance for cyclone damage was transferred to farmers within seven days of Yogi govt assuming office.He said the state had raised the sugarcane price to Rs 400 per quintal, with present govt paying Rs 3.25 lakh crore in sugarcane dues over 10 years. Under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, farmers had received Rs 6,125 crore since 2017-18, he added.Shahi said govt was ensuring timely availability of seeds, electricity and fertilisers to farmers.
