GORAKHPUR, Oct. 13 -- Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday accused the previous Samajwadi Party (SP) government of siphoning off funds meant for farmers' relief. He claimed that the SP's alleged malpractice had cost it politically, adding that "the curse of farmers and the anger of the common people sank the SP ship". Yogi was addressing a gathering at Baba Gambhir Nath auditorium in Gorakhpur after transferring Rs 493 crore in crop-loss compensation to 9,18,091 farmers affected by floods, excessive rainfall and hailstorms across Uttar Pradesh. He said relief funds were now being transferred directly to beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). "During the SP government, there was no electricity supply, but electricity bills would arrive. Now, farmers do not receive electricity bills, but they get electricity," he said. He accused the Opposition of dividing society along caste lines and alleged that its leaders were unwilling to ensure that public money reached its intended beneficiaries. Referring to the welfare delivery system under previous Congress governments, Yogi recalled former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's observation that only Rs 15 out of every Rs 100 released by the government reached the intended beneficiary. He claimed that eliminating middlemen from the compensation process had ensured that the entire sanctioned amount reached farmers directly. The chief minister said the state government had arranged compensation for crop losses, damaged houses and livestock within eight to 10 days. The families whose houses had been damaged by excessive rainfall and floods were being provided additional assistance of Rs 1.20 lakh under the Chief Minister's Housing Scheme. He clarified that this assistance was separate from the Rs 493 crore in crop-loss compensation announced on Monday. "During the current monsoon season, nearly Rs 1,000 crore has already been provided to farmers and other citizens affected by natural disasters," he said. Yogi announced that procurement centres for paddy and coarse grains, including jowar, bajra and maize, would open from October 15 in districts affected by excessive rainfall and waterlogging. Yogi said early-warning systems had been installed in several districts to alert people about the possibility of lightning strikes through SMS messages and mobile phones. Rain gauges were also being installed to improve rainfall monitoring and enable a faster response to natural disasters. The chief minister said Rs 169 crore had previously been released for farmers affected by floods, cyclones and hailstorms. He added that 1,29,326 farmers had already received around Rs 78 crore in crop-loss compensation....