Akhilesh sets DMs three-day deadline to finish relief work

Expressing concern over the slow pace of relief distribution to farmers hit by unseasonal rain, UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday issued a warning to District Magistrates and gave them three days time to complete the process.

“Despite not getting any amount from Centre, the state has released Rs 1135.57 crore for relief of farmers. Of this, Rs 602 crore has been disbursed,” Yadav said.

He said in some districts, the pace of relief distribution is slow and the officers posted there should complete the work within three days or strict action would be initiated against them.

Chief Secretary Alok Ranjan said the government was committed to provide relief to the farmers and would cut its own expenditure for the same. 

“There are some districts, where relief distribution was less than 50% and action will be taken against the concerned district magistrate, if they failed to complete the work in next three days,” he said.

The chief secretary said that the state government will send a memorandum of Rs 6677.46 crore to the Centre for providing relief to 67 calamity hit districts.

Amid rising reports of farmers committing suicide over crop failure due to unseasonal rain, BJP MLAs in UP on Tuesday decided to donate their one-month salary towards the CM’s relief fund. Earlier, BSP supremo Mayawati had directed her MPs and MLAs to provide their one-month salary as relief to farmers. Senior SP leader Shivpal Yadav had announced to donate his month's salary for farmers’ relief.