Farmers not getting MSP for crops, govt delaying sugarcane dues too: Akhilesh Yadav

The BJP promised to double the income of the farmers but neglect and debt forced several farmers to commit suicide, said the SP supremo.

LUCKNOW Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday claimed that the farmers in Uttar Pradesh are not getting minimum support price (MSP) for their crops due to the “dominance” of the middlemen under the BJP government.

The SP chief said that the state government is not providing fertilizers, seeds, and electricity to the farmers timely. (HT Photo)

In a press statement, the SP chief said that the state government is not providing fertilizers, seeds, and electricity to the farmers timely. He added that the sugarcane arrear of the last crushing season has not been paid by the sugar mills and the state is yet to announce the sugarcane price for the current season. The farmers have been deceived by the BJP government, their loans have not been waived off and they are not getting free electricity for irrigation as promised by the BJP during the assembly election campaign, he said.

Yadav also said the farmers are distressed under the BJP government while pointing out that the cost of cultivation has increased and scanty rainfall during monsoon has added to their woes. The BJP promised to double the income of the farmers but neglect and debt forced several farmers to commit suicide, said the SP supremo.

Akhilesh also accused the BJP government of being anti-farmer and anti-poor. He said it formulates policies only to protect the capitalists. After the formation of the government at centre in 2014, the BJP is only showing dreams to the farmers even as inflation has doubled, he said. The SP leader further said that stray animals ruin the crops, making the farmers stay awake the whole night to be on guard. Several farmers have died in severe cold conditions, he claimed.

Raising the issue of sugarcane dues, Akhilesh said that the crushing is being done for more than three months but the exploitation of the farmers by the government and mill owners continues. “The government had promised to clear the dues of sugarcane farmers in 15 days and according to the Sugarcane Sugar Control Act, if payment is not made within 14 days, interest is also payable on it. However, the BJP government has not even paid the sugarcane dues, let alone paying the interest. The Samajwadi Party has been continuously raising the problems of the farmers from the floor of the assembly to the road while BJP is cheating the farmers with false promises,” he said.