Yogi Govt paid Rs 1.51 lakh crore to sugarcane farmers from 2017 to 2021

Prabhat Ranjan Deen
Lucknow, Jan 2: Procurement by the State Government broke the record of the past several decades. In another big move towards farmers’ welfare, the Uttar Pradesh Government has made a record payment of Rs 1.51 lakh crore to more than 45 lakh sugarcane farmers. The payment is thrice the amount that was made by the former Bahujan Samaj Party Government and 1.5 times more than the Samajwadi Party Government.
Unlike the previous Governments, the Yogi-led Government has accorded priority to ensuring the payment of cane prices to the state farmers. Over 45.74 lakh sugarcane farmers in Uttar Pradesh have been paid a record cane price payment of more than Rs 1,51,508 crore between 2017-2021 which indicates the pro-farmer stance of the Government.
It is noteworthy that during Mayawati’s Government from 2007-2012, 30 lakh cane farmers were paid Rs 52,131 crore and during the Akhilesh regime from 2012-2017, a payment of Rs 95,215 crore was made to 33 lakh farmers. The Yogi Adityanath government has also cleared arrears worth Rs 10,661 crore, pending since the Akhilesh government, to cane farmers.
The payment that was made in 10 years (2007-2017) by the then BSP and SP governments, has been made by the current government in just over 4.5 years.
Under the SP and BSP Governments, sugarcane farmers had to run from pillar to post for payment of their dues. Troubled by the situation, many farmers were giving up on sugarcane production. But as soon as the Yogi Government came into power, it changed the fate of sugarcane farmers by making a record payment. There are more than 45.74 lakh sugarcane supplier farmers in the state and about 67 lakh farmers are associated with sugarcane cultivation.
For the first time in 25 years, licenses were issued for setting up 275 new Khandsari units.With the establishment of new Khandsari units, more than 30,000 people will get employment.
Sugar mills that got shut during the previous governments were revived by the Yogi Adityanath government and the state now ranks first in sugar production in the country. The state government has crushed more than 4289 lakh tonnes of sugarcane in UP with a record production of over 475 lakh tonnes of sugar, including three previous crushing seasons and the current crushing season 2020-21.