UP polls: Will relax age limit in police recruitment if voted to power, says Akhilesh Yadav

Karhal (UP), Feb 06: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said if voted to power, his government will relax the age limit in state police recruitment to facilitate those who had turned overage during the Covid pandemic.

Addressing a public meeting here, Yadav said, "Many youngsters have become overage for recruitment in the Army and police during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will send a special request to the Army to recruit the youth of Uttar Pradesh for the service of the nation. If needed, we will also relax the age limit in police recruitment."

The SP chief also said, "I have come to know that the (market) share of vodka has gone up in the last few years after BJP came to power. I want to assure you that we will provide a subsidy of Rs 100-200 crore for setting up industries to process potatoes in the region and make chips and snacks. If needed, we will even set up a plant to manufacture vodka to prevent the wastage of potatoes grown by the farmers of this region."

"This region is famous for its potato crop but the produce is wasted due to lack of support from the government. As a mark of protest, Samajwadis had dumped their potato produce outside the residence of the chief minister in Lucknow (in January 2018)." "The government had assured to buy potatoes from the farmers but they did not do so," the SP chief claimed.

When Yadav was the chief minister in 2015, he had announced to set up at least one vodka brewing factory in Kannauj and Farrukhabad districts each to ensure remunerative prices to farmers.