The Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) has accused the Yogi Government of Uttar Pradesh of not fulfilling its promise of providing free electricity to farmers. The BKU leader Rakesh Tikait has threatened to launch a statewide stir of farmers demanding payment of cane arrears, increasing minimum support price and waiver of power bills.
While addressing a grand panchayat of farmers in Lucknow on Monday, Tikait cornered the Yogi Government for not fulfilling promises it made during the elections. He said that during the assembly polls, the state government had promised that farmers in UP would get free electricity for irrigation. BKU leaders said that in Punjab, Telangana and Andhra the farmers are being given free electricity, but it is not so in UP. Similarly, the Yogi Government had promised payment of cane dues to farmers in 14 days and interest on delay, but it was also not fulfilled. 'What to talk of interest the farmers are not even getting their principal amount’, said he.
Farmer’s panchayats
Rakesh Tikait said that farmer’s panchayats are being held in every district of UP and if the government fails to keep its promise and the demands are not being met, a state-wide stir would be launched. Refuting the claim of the UP Government regarding payment of cane dues to farmers, the BKU leader said that sugar mills owned by Bajaj and Modi group have not paid farmers for the last year and still no action is being taken against them. He said that farmers' cane dues should be paid to the tune of the digital India formula of Prime Minister Modi.
Mentioning the loss to the farmers due to the flood in UP, the BKU leader said that a crop survey has been conducted, but no compensation has been given so far. He accused that the state government is planning to increase the electricity charge for tube wells up to ₹100 per hour.
