UP Dy. CMs laud govt.'s 'historic' decision on farmers' loan waiver

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Apr. 4 (ANI): Terming the Uttar Pradesh Government's decision to waive off farmers' loans worth Rs 30,729 crore as 'unprecedented', state Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma on Tuesday said this day is dedicated to the farmers. "The decision taken by the government today is unprecedented. This day is dedicated to the farmers," Sharma told the media. Resonating similar sentiments, another Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Keshav Prasad Maurya termed the decision as 'historic'. "The government under Yogi Adityanath has waived off farmers' loans. This is historic. This decision has been taken in the government's first Cabinet meeting. I extend my best wishes," Maurya told ANI. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath headed a cabinet meeting at Lucknow's Shastri Bhawan this evening, the first since he was sworn in on March 19. A major announcement was over Rs. 30,000 crore worth farm loan waiver, which is expected to benefit the state's 2 crore 30 lakh farmers. This was a key election promise made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The new Cabinet also discussed electricity for rural areas and issued new guidelines for slaughterhouses. The Uttar Pradesh Government has decided to waive Rs. 30,729 crore in farm loans and Rs. 5,630 in Non-Performing Assets (NPA). Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Sidharth Nath Singh said the total amount waived-off is Rs. 36,359 crore. The farmers will also be paid for harvests to their bank accounts, via Aadhaar. The Cabinet agreed that anti-Romeo squads, who are meant to target men who harass women, are doing great work. However, it directed the police not to harass couples who are sitting in public places. They would be subject to action if found guilty, the government said. The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet agreed that all illegal slaughterhouses will be shut, in adherence to norms set by the Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal (NGT). Singh said that as per the government's information, 26 illegal slaughterhouses have been shut across the state. The BJP had in its poll manifesto or Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra for Uttar Pradesh promised to write off loans taken by small and marginal farmers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, while campaigning in Uttar Pradesh, said this would be announced in the very first cabinet meeting if the BJP formed government in the state. The BJP won 312 of Uttar Pradesh's 403 seats, 325 along with allies in a landslide victory last month in the state assembly polls. (ANI)