Lucknow, Sept. 30 -- Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday promised a series of measures for farmers if his party returned to power in Uttar Pradesh, including free irrigation, payments within 24 to 48 hours and the establishment of dairy facilities on a large scale.

Interacting with farmers who had come to meet him, Yadav said agricultural machinery and essential commodities had become expensive, while farmers were not receiving adequate support or benefits.

"The machinery that farmers are buying is expensive, and food items have also become expensive," he said.

Targeting the government over ethanol blending in petrol, the SP chief alleged that the benefits of the process were not adequately reaching farmers. He claim...