Agriculture Department Joint Director B Manjunath try to pacify agitating farmers in Chitradurga on Tuesday.
DH Photo
Chitradurga: Condemning the government's inability to meet the urea demand for the monsoon crop, hundreds of farmers including women laid siege to Deputy Commissioner's office here on Tuesday. They even blocked the road to prevent officials from entering their offices.
Farmers from Bedarashivanakere, Basavanashivanakere and Kabbigere villages had come to collect urea at the APMC premises at 6 am. As officials at the APMC expressed their helplessness against short of stock, the farmers fumed.
They marched down to deputy commissioner's office to lay siege. They sat down on the DC office road preventing officials from entering their buildings. It was past office time and the farmers were not ready to budge. Traffic movement was blocked on the road, too.
Police rushed to the spot and tried to convince the farmers, but in vain. The farmers demanded that they need urea fertiliser to protect the crop that is sprouting. As the protesters were adamant, agriculture joint director B Manjunath spoke to the farmers. He said "We have distributed 600 tonnes of urea on Monday itself and we may not receive fertiliser for another four days. Farmers have to be patient as the district will get 300 tonnes of urea in the coming days," he said.
But this failed to pacify the protesters, who shot back, "You could have issued the token, at least. Unless we are provided with the token, we will not move from here." The protesters withdrew after officials assured to issue token.