Lucknow, 15 April (HS) : With the implementation of stricter health and safety protocols, the UP government is making all possible attempts of containing the spread and casualties due to the pandemic. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is taking several convincing decisions to protect people from the second wave of Covid-19. Efforts to provide treatment, as well as prevention, are going together hand in hand.
As Covid-19 cases are beginning to spike for a second time and surpass the peaks of the first wave, the government is primarily focussed on the need for carrying out a cleanliness, sanitisation and fogging drive across the state. To protect people from the deadly virus, sanitization of the villages along with cities, mandi sites and cold storage are among the top priorities of the state government.
The sanitisation drive in the revenue villages is already in the process, and now it is time to sanitize all the cold storages operating in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Simultaneously, the platforms of the mandi will be sanitized twice a day to protect the farmers, coming to sell wheat in the market, from getting infected. The state officials from the Department of Horticulture and Mandi Council, have issued instructions in this regard to the officials of the district.
1925 cold storages in UP
In this endeavour, Director of Horticulture, RK Tomar has instructed the departmental officers to sanitize all the 1925 cold storages in the state. According to RK Tomar, “more than 160 lakh tonnes of potatoes have been produced in the state this time. Out of which about 120 lakh tonnes of potatoes have reached cold storage. It is our duty to sanitize the cold storages for the safety purpose.”
Through this effort, the Yogi-led government is safeguarding the potato and wheat producing farmers should be protected from the coronavirus infection in every possible way. It is noteworthy that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has continuously been working in the interest of the farmers in Uttar Pradesh.
The process of sanitizing and operating all the cold stores in the state is in progress. “Sanitizing the cold storage will not cause any problems in the storage and extraction of potatoes”, the officials informed.
Platforms of the mandis being sanitized twice a day
Similarly, wheat is being procured in 220 mandis of the Mandi Council in the state. In order to protect the farmers who are transporting wheat to these mandis from getting infected, arrangements have been made to sanitize the platform of the mandi twice a day. Apart from this, Covid desk has been made in every mandi. There is a ban on anyone coming without a mask. Farmers not wearing a mask are being provided through this desk. Strict Covid protocols are being followed in the mandi by traders coming to sell vegetables and fruits.
Record purchase of wheat
According to a spokesperson of the state government wheat procurement has been started in the state from April 1. Only 14 days have passed that a record purchase of about 1.80 lakh metric tonnes of wheat has been made. In terms of payment to wheat farmers, the Yogi government has left the previous governments far behind. It is to be noted that during the past four-years, the state government had made a record payment of Rs 29017.45 crore to more than 33 lakh wheat farmers.
The Yogi government has also made a record of highest ever payment to the paddy and wheat farmers of the state in four years. The state government has paid more than Rs 23328.80 crore to around 2553804 paddy farmers, which is a record so far in the state.
Overall, the government of the state is engaged in timely payment of the hard-earned crop by the farmers, as well as making arrangements for the protection of the farmers from the corona by sanitizing the cold storage and mandi sites.
