UP Chief Minister Promises to Withdraw Cases against Farmers

In an effort to win the hearts of the farming community who are currently angry with the Government, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has promised to drop cases filed against them for stubble burning while also considering raising the sugarcane procurement price. 

Yogi’s efforts to reach out to farmers, particularly those in western Uttar Pradesh, arrive just days before a scheduled panchayat in Muzaffarnagar on September 5 called by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, a group of farmer unions that has been leading protests around the national capital for the past eight months. 

The Chief Minister said that his government would not only take steps to dismiss cases and fines levied on farmers for stubble burning, but would also ensure that the electricity connections of farmers are not interrupted. Fines placed on farmers for burning stubble have sparked widespread outrage in the community. 

In another important announcement, Yogi said that the government was considering raising the purchase price for cane, and that a decision would be made after a conversation with all stakeholders.

“The farmer should not be concerned or influenced,” he remarked at a meeting with farmers here on Wednesday under the title of ‘Kisan Bhaiyo se Samvad.' 

He also promised that his government would protect farmers' rights at a time when farmers in western Uttar Pradesh could disrupt the BJP's poll calculations in the region. He stated, "We will not let you to have any troubles." 

According to the Chief Minister, U.P. had pending cane arrears from 2010 to 2017, and since the BJP came to power, the state government has paid sugar dues worth Rs.1.42 lakh crore. 

The Chief Minister also promised farmers that sugar mills in western Uttar Pradesh would be operational by October 20, those in central Uttar Pradesh by October 25, and those in eastern Uttar Pradesh by the first week of November.