UP Budget 2017: Farm waiver brings cheer to farmers

The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday has unveiled the budget aimed at boosting farm growth and the development of rural poor people. The budget provided a new thrust to agriculture and spelt good news for the farmers.

The farmers across the twin cities of Noida and Greater Noida welcomed the budget and thanked the newly elected government for proving a relief of Rs 36,000 crore in the name of farm loan waiver to them in their maiden budget.

The farmers also expressed a gratitude to the government for the groundwater conservation mission in their budget as this is going to boost the ground water level as well as to feed their agriculture based animals.

"Amid our long term fight to protect the rights of the farmers across the state, the state government's budget for the fiscal year 2017-18 has proved to be a breather for the poor farmers," said R D Singh, National President, Bhartiya Kisan Union (Uttar Pradesh).

"The farm loan waiver will surely provide a big relief to the small and marginal farmers.

"We are thankful to the government for their efforts and fulfilling the major promise of their election manifesto," he added. "However, we also demand the government that the farmers should be provided 50 percent more than their agriculture produce cost and also the implementation of Swaminathan Commission report to resolve the farm

crisis at the earliest," Singh said.

Similar reactions were observed from other farmer's leaders as well. Dushyant Naagar, Conveyor, Kisan Samgharsh Samiti, said, "We welcome the budget announced by the state government wholeheartedly.

"The government has announced a sum of Rs 450 crore under the crop insurance policy which is likely to provide a relief to the farmers in any situation of natural calamity or crop loss," Naagar said.

"The renovation and the preservation of the lakes and ponds in the villages will also help in improving the ground water level and the water will also be used to feed the agricultural based animals," he added.

"Farmers are the backbone of the country's food security," said Shyamveer Mavi, District Secretrary, BKU.