Claiming that the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Yojana was a game changer, Uttar Pradesh’s Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi said the scheme had established Bharatiya Janata Party and its government as the “friend” of farmers.
Shahi was speaking in a review meeting held here on Monday.
The officials told the minister that the UP government effectively implemented the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Yojna, benefiting around 4.5 crore farmers.
The officials also pointed out that the money deposited in the accounts of about 1.5 lakh farmers was debited.
“I have been informed that the money could not be transferred in these accounts as there was some technical problem in matching. Efforts are on to rectify the snag and very soon the money would be credited to the accounts of farmers,” the minister said.
The small and marginal farmers are getting Rs 6,000 per year in three instalments under the scheme. The farmers have till now received two instalments of Rs 2,000 each.
The minister, reviewed the schemes and gave instructions regarding the coming Kharif crop.
“UP has achieved the distinction of providing direct bank transfer (DBT) facility to 1.11 crore farmers, which is 35 per cent of the entire country’s figures,” Shahi told media persons here on Monday.
He said 86 lakh farmers would be linked to DBT very soon in UP and by June, the government would collect all data in this regard.
Talking about the coming Kharif season, the minister said that instructions had been issued for storing seeds and fertilisers in districts.
“We will launch the fourth phase of the Millennium Farmers’ School in the state in which the farmers will be imparted training of new and advanced techniques of farming,” Shahi said, adding that 51 districts of UP were covered by the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima scheme and the rest would soon be brought under it.
Concern was also expressed over running of wheat purchase centres as it is believed that the government has so far failed to achieve the target.
There are reports that wheat procurement in the state has fallen by almost 40 per cent, to 27 lakh metric ton (MT) from over 37 lakh MT till mid-May compared to the corresponding period last year.
The officials said that questions were being raised that despite the state government having set up nearly 6,000 purchase centres to purchase wheat directly from farmers, the purchase procurement had shown a decline. In March first week, the government had increased the wheat procurement target by 10 per cent over last year, to 55 lakh MT. .
In 2018, the state government had purchased 53 lakh MT wheat against the target of 50 lakh MT. During the Akhilesh Yadav regime in 2017, the state government agencies had procured 37 lakh MT wheat compared to 8 lakh MT in 2016.