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Uttar Pradesh Government waives farmer’s debt.

April 6, 2017 | Expert Insights

Is this the beginning of a new era in Uttar Pradesh for agriculture?

On the 4th of April 2017, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath made good on one of his promised agendas. Fresh off his appointment by the BJP, Adityanath has garnered applause by wiping away a combined debt of Rs 36,359-crore from farmers. Loans taken by farmers up to 1 lakh have been alleviated by the state government. High suicide rates, droughts and land acquisitions have severely affected farmers across India’s most populated state.

What was the state of debt in Uttar Pradesh amongst farmers?

Reports by the State bank of India released last year pointed out that the Uttar Pradesh government would need to totally wipe away 27,419 crores to ensure farmers escape debt. By wiping away more debt, Adityanath has successfully freed up farmers. The state has been experiencing one of the worst droughts in their history with two years of no rainfall. This has left the state with a shortage of endemic produce and a high suicide rate, second only to Punjab. The last known move of this kind was in 2008 when the United Progressive Alliance alleviated farmers of 60,000 crore debt.

The congress has applauded the move but there are problems that will arise from the pressures that the exchequer will experience due to the fiscal pressure.  A loan waiver has many adverse consequences, besides the fiscal hit to the exchequer.

What does this mean for Uttar Pradesh?

Uttar Pradesh is welcoming the refreshing views of Yogi Adityanath. The new Chief minister has implemented rules that now help the women, farmers and other members of the state. Adityanath is successfully reforming the state under the banner of the BJP. Problems will arise over the pressure these new changes will exert on the government but overall these are moves in the right direction. He’s also attempted to decentralize the power in the state by trying to host government meeting outside Lucknow. For the state, their farmers are finally free of their gargantuan debt and will now be able to find ways to fix their farms through the government who have promised to aid the farmers in their attempts to gain stability.

Assessment

Yogi Adityanath is proving previous detractors wrong by focusing on people driven rules and trying to protect his people. He is not espousing the completely pro- Hindutva ideology that was thought originally. He is aiding to help the people that elected his party to power and if he continues might wipe away any hopes of other regional parties gaining seats in the next election.