Lakhimpur Kheri: Biggest district with most Sikhs contributes most to UP’s farm GDP

Lakhimpur Kheri violence: The district is the largest of the 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh in terms of area, and contributes the most to the agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the state.

According to District Domestic Product data released by the Uttar Pradesh Directorate of Economics & Statistics, the district contributed Rs 12,414.40 crore — 3.38 per cent — of the state's Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries sector GDP of Rs 3,66,727.16 crore in 2019-20.

Lakhimpur Kheri, where eight people including four farmers were killed after Union Minister Ajay Mishra’s cavalcade hit protesting farmers and clashes erupted on Sunday, is the largest of the 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh in terms of area, and contributes the most to the agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the state.

Lakhimpur Kheri is also home to the largest Sikh population in the state. The 7,680-sq-kilometre (2,970-sq-mile) district in the central part of the state shares a border with Nepal, and comes under the Lucknow administrative division. It is home to UP’s only national park, Dudhwa.

Districts in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand with a significant population of settlers from Punjab after Partition.

Leader in farm GDP

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According to District Domestic Product data released by the Uttar Pradesh Directorate of Economics & Statistics, the district contributed Rs 12,414.40 crore — 3.38 per cent — of the state’s Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries sector GDP of Rs 3,66,727.16 crore in 2019-20.

That year, the share of the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries sector in the District Domestic Product of Lakhimpur was 45.30 per cent, higher than that of Uttar Pradesh as a whole (23.7 per cent) and India (18.4 per cent).

Also read | BJP watches warily, had swept Lakhimpur Kheri in 2017 elections

This indicates that the economy of the district is based mainly on agricultural activities, and crop production and animal husbandry is the main source of income of the people.

Lakhimpur Kheri violence: During a protest against the death of four farmers on Sunday, who were mowed down by a car in Tikonia village, Uttar Pradesh. (AP Photo)

Largest Sikh population

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Lakhimpur Kheri is home to the largest concentration of Sikhs among all the districts of Uttar Pradesh. According to Census 2011, of the state’s total 6,43,500 Sikh population, 94,388 — or 15 per cent — were living in Lakhimpur Kheri.

While the share of Sikhs in the state’s population was just 0.32 per cent, it was 3.24 per cent in Lakhimpur — there were 6.43 lakh Sikhs in the district’s total population of 40.21 lakh.

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Harikishan Sharma

Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister’s Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read More