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UP hikes wheat MSP by Rs 160; procurement from March 30
Cabinet approves setting up of 20 MW floating solar power plant in Gorakhpur
Briefing the media after the Cabinet meeting, Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi said wheat procurement will begin from March 30 and continue till June 15, 2026.
The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday announced a hike of Rs 160 per quintal in the minimum support price (MSP) for wheat, setting it at Rs 2,585 per quintal for the 2026 procurement season as against last year’s Rs 2,425.
Briefing the media after the Cabinet meeting, Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi said wheat procurement will begin from March 30 and continue till June 15, 2026. A total of 6,500 procurement centres have been set up across the state to facilitate smooth purchasing with a procurement target of 50 lakh metric tonnes. To ensure transparency and curb the role of middlemen, online registration portals have already been opened for farmers, Shahi said.
Procurement will be carried out through eight agencies, including the Food Corporation of India (FCI), UP Mandi Parishad, PCF, PCU, UPSS, NAFED, and NCCF. The minister said that it would put an additional burden of Rs 60 crore on the exchequer.
In addition to agriculture decisions, the Cabinet also cleared Rs 2,242.90 crore for coal mines and approved the Solar Project and ‘Navyug Palika Yojana’ of the Urban Development Department.
In the conventional energy sector, the Cabinet cleared Rs 2,242.90 crore for the development of the Pachhwara coal mine in Dumka district of Jharkhand, which was allocated to the state by the Centre in 2016. The coal from this mine will be used to fuel the Ghatampur Thermal Power Plant, a joint venture between the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government. The Ghatampur project envisages three units of 660 MW each, where two units are operational, while the third is expected to be commissioned soon.
Power Minister AK Sharma said the project will reduce dependence on distant coal sources, and cut transportation costs. It will also lower power generation costs by around 80 paise per unit, he added.
After Ayodhya, Gorakhpur to be developed as Solar City
In the renewable energy sector, the Cabinet approved the establishment of a 20 MW floating solar power plant at Chilua Tal in Gorakhpur. The project will be executed by Coal India Limited and is part of the plan to develop Gorakhpur as a Solar City after Ayodhya.
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Sharma said that Uttar Pradesh already has two floating solar plants — one 20 MW unit in Auraiya set up by NTPC and another 11 MW unit in Khurja developed by THDC — highlighting the state’s growing focus on clean energy.
On the urban development front, the Cabinet approved the “Navyug Palika Yojana” aimed at transforming municipal bodies at district headquarters into smart urban centres. The scheme will be implemented in 58 district headquarters across the state, excluding 17 municipal corporations out of Uttar Pradesh’s 75 districts.
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