<p style="font-weight: 400;">In a bid to reach out farmers directly, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's office has set up a phone helpline.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Using helpline number 1076, farmers will be able to convey about their problems to the Chief Minister’s Office. The CMO will directly reach out to lakhs of farmers and address the problems they face.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">According to a government spokesman, the helpline will start contacting farmers directly, briefing them about the government's schemes, including the new MSP.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">The CMO will monitor the helpline's functioning. The spokesman said, "So far, the helpline of the CM office has been catering to Covid-19 patients but from now on the helpline will reach the farmers. The helpline has mapped over seven million paddy cultivators by procuring a list containing their phone numbers from the food and civil supplies department, which had purchased paddy from them in the previous season."</p>
The helpline will brief them about the new MSP, set for paddy and the purchase centers which the government has set up for their convenience.

The idea is to clear misconceptions about the new farm laws and take the steam out of the opposition's campaign against the ruling BJP.

Besides, farmers can lodge their complaints if they face any problem at any stage.

It may be recalled that for this financial year, the state government has set the paddy MSP at Rs 1,868 per quintal.

"From paddy we will move on to the rabi crop, informing farmers about centers which the government would set up at block and tehsil levels to make available seeds and fertilizers for them at subsidized rates." the spokesman said.

(with agency inputs).