Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the state government has transferred Rs 493 crore in agricultural input subsidy to more than 9 lakh farmers affected by floods, excessive rainfall, hailstorms and cyclones, while directing departments to restore rain-damaged roads and infrastructure.
The assistance was transferred through Direct Benefit Transfer, which the chief minister said was intended to ensure that relief reaches beneficiaries’ bank accounts directly. He said the damage to crops and livestock had been assessed in about 10 days before the latest payments were released.
Speaking in Gorakhpur, Adityanath contrasted the current system with earlier periods of government, alleging that funds released for farmers had not reached them in full. He cited the damage caused by Cyclone Hudhud in 2014 and claimed that, of Rs 3,200 crore sent by the Centre, only Rs 800 crore reached farmers. The allegation was made by the chief minister and was not independently established in the report.
Adityanath said the state had arranged additional funds after an investigation ordered following his government’s formation in 2017. He also said the government had released about Rs 169 crore to farmers affected by floods, cyclones and hailstorms, and had provided around Rs 1,000 crore in financial assistance to citizens during the current monsoon season.
The relief measures extend beyond crop losses. The chief minister said families whose houses were damaged by excessive rainfall, cyclones and floods were being given Rs 1.20 lakh under the Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana. He also said officials had been instructed to provide Rs 5 lakh immediately to the family of a farmer, sharecropper or member of their household killed or affected by a natural disaster such as lightning under the Mukhyamantri Krishak Durghatna Bima Yojana.
The state is also setting up an Early Warning Weather System designed to provide advance signals about lightning and heavy rainfall. Rain gauges are being installed to measure local rainfall conditions, according to the chief minister. The systems are intended to support more targeted assessment of weather-related damage, although the report did not provide details of their coverage, operating agency or completion schedule.
Rain-related damage has also triggered instructions for public infrastructure. Adityanath said roads damaged by rainfall should be restored immediately, with funds already released for the work. The Public Works, irrigation, urban development and housing departments, along with development authorities, have been given funds to repair damaged roads and other infrastructure. Work is expected to begin once weather conditions improve.
The chief minister also referred to earlier government measures, including a reported loan waiver of Rs 36,000 crore for 86 lakh small and marginal farmers and free electricity for 16 lakh private tubewells. These claims were made during the same address and were not accompanied in the report by supporting government documents or a breakdown of expenditure.
The immediate implementation challenge will be to complete damage assessment, transfer eligible relief, and restore roads and other public assets as weather conditions permit. The state’s next steps, according to the chief minister, are the commencement of repair work and continued delivery of assistance to households and farmers affected by the monsoon-related disasters.
