Centre yet to provide any money for relief: Govt

Hasan was speaking in reply to an adjournment notice moved by BSP members who wanted discussion on the issue of distribution of financial relief to affected farmers. “The state government has so far provided relief worth around Rs 3,446 crore among the affected farmers from its own resources. The government will seek more funds for this from the state exchequer,” he added.

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Hasan also claimed that no farmer has committed suicide because of loss of crop. “No other government in the past had ever given financial relief to farmers affected with unseasonal rain and hailstorm,” he claimed. Accusing the state of being anti-farmer, BSP members staged a walk out from the House.

Earlier, speaking on the admissibility of the notice, BSP member Sunil Kumar Chittaud said that revenue officials have distributed relief to only those farmers who were chosen by SP leaders. “Government officials harassing affected farmers… The government has registered FIRs against affected farmers in Bareilly when they were staging a demonstration demanding compensation on July 16,” he added.

Leader of Opposition Naseemuddin Siddiqui alleged that revenue officials have not valued the loss of crop properly and thus, the affected farmers were starving.

Raising the issue of sugarcane farmers, he said: “Payment of around Rs 7,500 crore to the farmers is due.” In reply, Ahmed Hasan said nearly 70 per cent of the payment has been made to sugarcane farmers against the procurement done in the recent crushing season.

Following this, Chairman Ganesh Shakar Pandey rejected BSP’s adjournment notice and directed the government to take necessary steps to help the affected farmers.

In response to another notice moved by Congress members Naseeb Pathan and Dinesh Pratap Singh on the issue of sugarcane farmers, Hasan said: “Payment of only Rs 7,586 crore for crushing season 2014-15 is due. A major portion of this amount is to be paid by private sugar mills. As many as 71 FIRs have been lodged against 38 sugar mills owners in the recent crushing season.”