UP’s ‘Kisan Varsh’ resolve gets tested

Presenting his budget for 2015-16, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav declared it to be a “Kisan Varsh” in Uttar Pradesh. He announced several pro-farmer schemes, including free irrigation, 1,000 one-stop shops of agri products, Rs 131 crore for certified seeds, Rs 600 crore for farmers’ accident insurance and Rs 778 crore under the National Agriculture Development Scheme.
Within days, an opportunity arose to test the  government’s resolve: the havoc caused to the crops across UP because of unseasonal rains.
A number of cases of farmers committing suicide or dying of shock have been reported from all over the state. The government prefers terming it “untimely death”, but is giving a better compensation package. Besides Rs 1.5 lakh from the Centre, this time UP is giving Rs 3.5 lakh to each family. The Chief Minister is giving an additional Rs 2 lakh from his own discretionary fund, the total coming to Rs 7 lakh.
Compensation for crop loss has also been enhanced. While the Centre is providing Rs 4,500 per hectare for damage to crops in rain-fed land and Rs 9,000 for irrigated land, the state government is matching this.
Adviser to the state planning commissioner and representative of the Kisan Jagriti Manch Sudhir Kumar Panwar, however, stresses that “better medicine does not ensure the disease is wiped out from its root”. Farm sector reforms, including implementation of the National Policy of Farmers and the Chand Committee report, are not part of the  government’s discourse, he says. 
Director Agriculture AK Bishnoi blames the Centre for not implementing suggestions for make farming sustainable. He says that for the 2014-15 rabi crop, UP had recommended Rs 2,300 per quintal for wheat, while the Centre accepted only Rs 1,450. Even for mustard, barley, gram and lentils, the MSP recommended was substantially higher than what was finally declared by Delhi.