Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh cabinet approved vital decisions in a cabinet meeting held in Lucknow on Tuesday.

In an attempt to provide much-needed relief to the farmers facing challenges of sorts, the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet, under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath, approved aid of Rs 192.57 crore for them.

The amount will be used for weed control as well as a safe storage of standing and ready crops in the field, using various ecological resources in the next five years.

In this regard, the required chemical and biological pesticides will be given to the farmers on a grant from the Agricultural Defense Unit. A proposal to give a 50 per cent subsidy on storage units has also been approved for the safe storage of crops.

It is worth noting that farmers suffer huge crop losses due to weeds, insects, pests, damage due to unsafe storage, rats, etc every year. To reduce the loss of farmers, the Cabinet approved an assistance of Rs 192,57,75,000 for a period of five years from 2022-23 to 2026-27.

The Government will spend Rs 34.17 crore in the current financial year for the benefit of farmers.

It is noteworthy that farmers suffer 15-20 per cent of crop loss due to weeds, 26 per cent due to crop diseases, 20 per cent due to insect diseases, 7 per cent due to lack of proper storage, 6 per cent due to rats and 8 per cent due to other reasons on an average every year. In view of this, the Cabinet has decided to reduce farmers’ losses and boost their income through proper and safe storage of their crops.

Apart from this, the Cabinet has decided to give 50 per cent subsidy to the farmers on long-term storage of foodgrains in bakharis (storage houses) with a capacity of 2 to 5 quintals. The Government will be spending Rs 41.42 lakh in this regard under Kisan Yojana from the year 2022 to 2027.

Among other decisions, 12 proposals for city development were passed and four new Nagar panchayats proposals were approved. 

In another decision, the boundary of Deoria and Aligarh municipal bodies will be expanded up to Kampil of Farrukhabad and Sankisa will be made a Nagar Panchayat.

The monsoon session of the UP Legislative Assembly will commence on September 19. 

Source - https://theprint.in