Yogi holds previous govts responsible for farmers' suicides in UP

Speaking at the 'Farmers' Day' programme on the 119th birth anniversary of former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday held the previous governments' policies responsible for farmers' suicides in the state.

Lucknow:Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday held the previous governments' policies responsible for farmers' suicides in the state. Speaking at the 'Farmers' Day' programme organized here on the 119th birth anniversary of former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, Adityanath said the BJP government had been upholding his belief that the way to India's prosperity was through its agricultural fields.

"The earlier governments' anti-farmer approach and unscientific policies drove the farmers to commit suicide. A lot of them moved away from agriculture. After the BJP was voted to power in Uttar Pradesh, we waived off their loans to the tune of Rs 36,000 crore," the chief minister said. Adityanath also said the Narendra Modi government's policies for the farmers was for everyone to see.

Remembering Charan Singh, Adityanath said the BJP government had been fulfilling the former farmer leader's dream with a slew of welfare measures, both at the state and central levels. The chief minister said though the central government in 1967 introduced minimum support price (MSP) in the country, it was implemented in its true spirit only by the Modi government.

Adityanath also said his government eliminated the role of middlemen between the cultivators and the buyers as the government has been buying directly from the farmers. Expressing concern over the use of hazardous chemicals in agriculture, Adityanath seconded the prime minister's 'remedy' of practising cow-based agriculture. "This will also help in cow protection and promotion of faith. The productivity in farming will also increase relatively," he said.

PTI