Yogi Adityanath Unveils Farm and Women's Relief Plans Ahead of UP Polls

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday previewed a set of welfare measures aimed at farmers and women, with the state's assembly elections only a few months away. He said a special relief package for farmers hit by natural disasters and erratic weather would be announced soon, along with a separate package to promote economic self-reliance among women.

The farm plan is the most closely watched of the three. Adityanath linked recent crop losses to climate change, El Niño and cyclonic activity, which he said had brought excessive rain, drought and hailstorms. Standing crops, he noted, were damaged twice in the past fortnight. The state is already providing immediate relief, he said, and a larger package covering nearly three crore farmers is being drafted. He did not disclose the size of the outlay or the eligibility rules.

A third announcement focuses on mandis, the regulated wholesale markets where farmers sell produce. Adityanath said Annapurna Canteens would open in these markets to offer subsidised meals to farmers. Annapurna Bhojanalayas are also planned at labour hubs under development for construction workers, extending the government's food-access pitch beyond the countryside.

The announcements came at an event distributing free LPG cylinders to 1.98 crore Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries ahead of Diwali. The scheme provides two free refills a year, one before Diwali and one before Holi, at an additional annual cost of Rs 1,500 crore to the state. Adityanath used the platform to tie the scheme to the Centre's 2016 launch, accused previous Congress governments of extracting bribes even for LPG connections, and cited a World Bank report, which he said showed 46 crore Indians had moved above the poverty line. These are political claims, and the event's timing makes its electoral intent clear.

Beyond the spending, the speech sketched a broader pitch on law and order and governance. Adityanath credited the BJP government elected in 2017 with curbing riots and extortion and restoring festive confidence in markets, arguments that carry weight with traders and urban voters. He also targeted the Congress and the Samajwadi Party over corruption, framing the state's welfare push as proof of cleaner administration.

For farmers and small businesses, the key questions are practical: how large the farm package will be, who qualifies for compensation, and whether mandi canteens and labour-hub kitchens will be funded at scale. Adityanath said the women's initiative would focus on economic independence, and tied it to his larger goal of a self-reliant Uttar Pradesh contributing to a Viksit Bharat. Until the details are published, the promises remain a preview, but they signal where the state's spending priorities are heading in the run-up to the polls.

Read the original report at Times of India.

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