Uttar Pradesh, September 12: Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath has advised farmers to stop growing sugarcane as it leads to diabetes and urged farmers to sow vegetables and other crops. He made this statement after attending the foundation stone laying ceremony for developing the 154-km Delhi-Saharanpur Highway on September 11.

"Indulge in the habit of growing crops other than sugarcane. The excessive production of sugar leads to more consumption of the commodity and ultimately this leads to diabetes. Try sowing vegetables as well, as there is a huge market for these in Delhi. You are producing too much of sugarcane now,” said Yogi Adityanath. Yogi Adityanath Claims Mughal Emperor Akbar Was Not Great, But Only Maharana Pratap Was!

Praising his government for clearing sugarcane dues of Rs 26,000 crore, Yogi Adityanath said, “We have paid Rs 26,000 crore to sugarcane farmers this year and the remaining Rs 10,000 crore will also be released soon by sugar mills. We have made adequate arrangements for the same.”

The highway for which the foundation stone was laid passes through Muzaffarnagar and Shamli and the area is considered as the major producers of Sugarcane. The highway is built at a cost of Rs 1,505 crore.

Union minister of Transport and Road highway Nitin Gadkari, who was also present in Bhagpat for the stone laying ceremony for the project, said," The situation will change very fast for farmers of the region. More ethanol will be made from molasses and mixed with petrol. There will be ready demand for their produce and therefore farmers will earn more.

"Meanwhile in Shamli, police detained 25 Bhartiya Kisan union activists at Shamli railway station who were on their way to Bhagpat to show black flag to CM Yogi Adityanath against non-payments of pending sugarcane dues. The activists were later released.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 12, 2018 10:23 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).