Statewide stir by BJP Kisan Morcha over urea shortage from today, says Vijayendra

Bengaluru: The BJP Kisan Morcha will hold demonstrations in all districts starting Monday, except Bengaluru Urban, to protest the government’s failure to ensure adequate supply of fertilisers to farmers, announced B Y Vijayendra, BJP state president here on Sunday.

The protest would be held in two phases, Vijayendra said. He blamed the government for distributing substandard seeds to the farmers and shortfall in fertiliser stock.

“Agriculture Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy must immediately identify and file criminal cases against agencies that distributed substandard seeds and adulterated fertilisers to farmers,” said Vijayendra.

Pointing to early onset of monsoon that had, in turn, resulted in sowing beginning early in state, he said, “Since sowing did not start simultaneously in all districts, government should’ve estimated the required quantity of urea & seeds for districts like Kalaburagi, Koppal & Shivamogga.”

Vijayendra claimed that there was a thriving ‘black market’ in the state for fertilisers, with farmers being forced to pay twice or thrice the actual price for urea.

“The Centre provided 8.7 lakh metric tonnes of urea, but only 5.25 lakh metric tonnes are available in the market. What happened to the rest?,” he said.

Pointing out that his father B S Yediyurappa had allocated Rs 1,000 crore for buffer stock of fertilisers when he was chief minister, Vijayendra said CM Siddaramaiah had slashed the allocation to Rs 400 crore.