'From ODOP To e-KCC, Rural Upliftment Of Uttar Pradesh Becomes A National Model': CM Yogi Adityanath In Assembly

Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said in the Assembly that the colonial era turned the farmer from a producer into a consumer, and later the Congress and SP governments committed the sin of turning the same farmer into a debtor. He said that the artisan who had an entrepreneur within him was made disappointed and forced into migration.

The trader who was a bridge connecting the country from north to south and east to west was pushed into fear and disorder. As a result, a situation of despair, farmers’ distress, and closure of MSMEs was created in the state. The Chief Minister said that in the last eight to nine years, the state has completely changed this scenario.

A clear agricultural policy reversed the circumstances. Earlier, the cost was high and production was low, and middlemen dominated. Today, the cost is low, production is high, and the full benefit of the produce is being given directly to farmers through DBT. He said, “In this journey of development, Uttar Pradesh has once again placed the food provider at the center and has accelerated the agricultural economy at double speed”.

The Chief Minister said, “The economy of Uttar Pradesh has now reached new heights, where once the state’s GSDP was 13 lakh crore rupees, today it has reached the historic level of 36 lakh crore rupees. Uttar Pradesh’s share in the country’s total GDP is continuously increasing”.

The state has also achieved remarkable success in bringing the fiscal deficit below 3 percent, which is proof of effective control over tax evasion and revenue leakage. He informed that in the last nine years, the development of the state has been accelerated without imposing any new tax.

Responding to the allegations made by the Leader of Opposition, the Chief Minister said that India is a country built on the creativity of farmers and artisans. This tradition of Gram Swaraj has always been our identity. The colonial era forced our productive farmers to become consumers, and later the previous governments drowned them in debt.

He clearly said, “The Congress and Samajwadi Party governments committed the sin of turning the food provider into a debtor, while pushing artisans and entrepreneurs into the darkness of despair. At that time, there was an environment of migration, unemployment, and decline of MSMEs in the state, and investor perception was completely negative”.

The Chief Minister added, the work done in the interest of farmers in the last eight to nine years has been unprecedented. As a result of a clear agricultural policy, the food provider has benefited from higher production at lower cost. By removing middlemen, the full value of farmers’ produce is being made available directly into their bank accounts through DBT.

Special emphasis has been laid on improving the quality of agricultural products. As a result, today Uttar Pradesh is first in the country in foodgrain production, is leading in milk production, and has reached double capacity in sugarcane production.

He informed, “Around 16 lakh destitute cattle are being protected in the state and Uttar Pradesh is the first state in the country to provide assistance of 1500 rupees per cattle per month. Today, 55 percent of the country’s total sugarcane production comes from Uttar Pradesh”.

From 2000 to 2017, only 2.14 thousand crore rupees of sugarcane price payment was made, whereas in the last eight and a half years, more than 3 lakh 05 thousand crore rupees have been sent directly to farmers’ accounts-meaning in half the time, farmers received more than 90,000 crore rupees additional amount.

The Chief Minister said, “Today 122 sugar mills are operating in the state and farmers are being paid 400 rupees per quintal as sugarcane price. Ethanol production has increased from 41 crore liters to 182 crore liters, in which Uttar Pradesh is also first in the country”.

Today, sugar mills are no longer a loss-making sector, but have become a profitable industry. The sugar mills of Chhata and Baghpat are being developed as integrated complexes. There are 89 agricultural science centers operating in the state.

Through expressways and logistics, priority is being given to connecting farmers’ produce to national and international markets. Extensive work is being done on agricultural value chain, storage, processing, and value addition.

The Chief Minister informed that under the resolve of ‘Har Khet Ko Pani’, the irrigation system has been strengthened through canals, pipelines, and micro-irrigation. The state’s 31 major irrigation projects have been completed. Free electricity has been provided to private tubewells and effective arrangements have also been made for diesel-operated tubewells.

He informed that Mahatma Buddha Agriculture University and Chaudhary Charan Singh Seed Park in Lucknow will give a new direction to agricultural development in the state. Through the e-KCC portal, the process of Kisan Credit Card has been simplified and the facility of completion in five minutes has been made available.

Mentioning the One District One Product scheme, the Chief Minister said that ODOP has played an important role in providing international markets to the products of artisans, craftsmen, and farmers. Through marketing, packaging, and branding, the MSME sector is realizing the concept of local-to-global, which is directly benefiting farmers and rural entrepreneurs.

Giving the example of Kala Namak rice of Siddharthnagar, he said, due to ODOP, its national and international demand has increased significantly today. The state has received GI tag for 77 products, eliminating the need for certification in the global market.

He informed, “The government has started the One District One Cuisine (ODOC) scheme this year, through which the special cuisine of each district is being promoted and is also being linked with wide economic activity”.