Advocating development of villages, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said that a state could not progress without the prosperity of farmers and keeping that in mind the UP government had declared the year as ‘Kisan Varsh’.
“Our government is totally focused on the development of villages and farmers. They are being trained in modern farm technology, provided good market to get good prices of their produce,” Yadav said while addressing a function organised to celebrate former Prime Minister Chaudhry Charan Singh’s 113th birthday in lucknow on Wednesday.
Yadav said that his government had launched several welfare schemes for farmers as the government was committed to the welfare of the community and high quality seeds, fertilisers and water for irrigation were being provided in abundance.
“The Samajwadis firmly believe that no country can progress if the farmers are not happy. If the state has to move ahead, it has to make farmers prosperous,” Yadav said and hinted that his government would also focus on the development of farmers in the next fiscal.
“New mandis will come up along the upcoming Agra-lucknow Expressway providing easy market for farmers and consumers alike. These mandis will help in improving farm economy which, in turn, will help farmers,” he said.
The CM said that farmers should also get respect like soldiers. “As soldiers protect our frontiers so that we can sleep in peace, farmers toil hard against the vagaries of nature so that we do not die of hunger,” he said.
Yadav added that farmers should get the benefits of government schemes and officials were directed to provide fertilises and seeds at their doorstep. He said: “We do not want that farmers should queue up to get farm products. Our government has provided financial help to set up solar irrigation pumps and start Kamdhenu Yojana.”
Yadav expressed his concern over the condition of cane farmers and said that he was creating pressure on sugar mill owners to clear arrears of farmers for which an additional Rs 3,000 crore had been arranged.
The Chief Minister also honoured 30 farmers who excelled in production of paddy, arhar, maize, soyabin, wheat, chana, masoor and mustard. The winners were given a cash prize of Rs 20,000 each while the runners-up got Rs 15,000. Yadav also felicitated Shivram Singh for excelling in horticulture and fisheries.