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 ordering departments to restore roads and other infrastructure damaged by the weather.
The assistance was distributed through Direct Benefit Transfer during an event in Gorakhpur, according to a report by the Times of India. Adityanath said the latest crop and livestock damage assessment was completed in about 10 days and that financial support was being sent directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
The chief minister contrasted the current system with earlier arrangements, alleging that funds intended for farmers had not fully reached them under previous Congress and Samajwadi Party governments. He cited the Centre’s response to crop damage caused by Cyclone Hudhud in 2014, claiming that of Rs 3,200 crore sent for relief, only Rs 800 crore reached farmers. He said an investigation ordered after he became chief minister in 2017 found that the full amount had not been distributed.
The allegations were made as the state reported a wider programme of weather-related support. Adityanath said the government had provided around Rs 1,000 crore in financial assistance to citizens during the monsoon season. Families whose houses were damaged by excessive rainfall, cyclones and floods were reported to have received Rs 1.20 lakh under the Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana.
The state government is also setting up an Early Warning Weather System intended to provide advance signals for lightning and heavy rain. Rain gauges are being installed to measure local rainfall conditions, a step that could support more location-specific damage assessment and relief decisions. The chief minister said officials had been directed to provide immediate assistance under the Mukhyamantri Krishak Durghatna Bima Yojana when farmers, sharecroppers or members of their families are affected by natural disasters. The assistance under the scheme is Rs 5 lakh per affected family.
Adityanath said Rs 169 crore had already been released to farmers affected by floods, cyclones and hailstorms. He also referred to earlier measures including a loan waiver of Rs 36,000 crore for 86 lakh small and marginal farmers and free electricity for 16 lakh private tubewells.
The announcements extend beyond direct relief to the repair of public infrastructure. The chief minister said roads damaged by rain should be restored immediately and that funds had been 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 to begin once weather conditions allow.
The measures place direct transfers, damage assessment and infrastructure repair within the same administrative response to extreme weather. Their effectiveness will depend on how quickly damage is recorded, how accurately eligible households and farmers are identified, and whether repairs begin after the weather clears, as directed by the state government.
