Bhubaneswar: The opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) staged a massive protest in front of Raj Bhavan in Bhubaneswar on Monday over alleged failure of the BJP government in Odisha to meet the fertiliser needs of farmers of the state.
Hundreds of BJD workers marched towards Raj Bhavan, raising slogans against the government’s mishandling of the crisis. Some protesters even tried to breach barricades, leading to a brief clash with security forces. Following which police used force to disperse the crowd, causing momentary chaos.
A delegation of BJD leaders, including MLAs, was later allowed inside Raj Bhavan to submit a memorandum to Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, seeking his intervention to solve the short supply of fertilisers during the crucial crop season.
Speaking to the media, senior BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra said that the farmers have been raising their voice against rampant black marketing of fertilisers, which is an essential agricultural input, at district headquarters, block and agriculture offices for the last 2-3 weeks. ” While the official price of a 45 kg fertilizer bag has been fixed at Rs 242, reports from several districts suggest it is being sold at exorbitant rates ranging from Rs 800 to Rs 1,000. The government is reviewing the situation and claiming that there is no fertiliser shortage in the state despite these protests,” he said.
He also mentioned the BJD president Naveen Patnaik’s letter to Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers J P Nadda, urging him to take necessary steps for adequate supply of urea to Odisha during this kharif season.
Mishra warned that the anger of the farmers may spill onto the roads and create a law and order situation which cannot be ignored.
On Sunday, senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya had accused the government of misleading people and farmers by false claims regarding the availability of sufficient fertiliser in the state. “I urge and appeal to the state government to inspect the real picture of fertiliser supply on ground. The ministers instead of making statements in Bhubaneswar should visit the villages and if they realise that the farmers are getting adequate fertiliser, then we will accept the claims of the government. There is a shortage of fertiliser everywhere. The farmers can be seen waiting in queues stretching a mile before the Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) in several districts of the state,” said Acharya.
The Leader of Congress Legislature Party (CLP), Ramachandra Kadam, said that his party will raise the issue during the upcoming session of the state assembly.
BJP REACTS
BJP spokesperson Manoj Mahapatra said that farmers are returning to their agriculture fields enthused by the government schemes. “The fraudulent retailers and dealers are products of the 24-year regime of the BJD. It will take some time to crack the whip against them,” he added.
Last month, 30 fertiliser shops and suspended licences of 62 dealers during enforcement drives. In total 4,546 retail outlets were inspected and show cause notices issued to 1,202 retailers.
So far, 4,546 retail outlets have been inspected and show cause notices have been issued to 1,202 retailers,
Meanwhile, Cooperation Minister Pradeep Bala Samanta reiterated that there is no shortage of fertilisers in the state. “So far, 10.85 lakh tonnes of fertilisers have already been sold as against last year’s 8.5 lakh tonnes up to the previous month. Another 1.8 lakh tonnes of fertiliser are available with the state government,” he said.
The Minister further stated that the demand for fertiliser this year was significantly more than last year due to earlier-than-expected abundant monsoon and an increased area of paddy cultivation. He added that strict action is being taken against black marketing and hoarding of fertilisers.
On Thursday, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi suggested shifting fertilisers seized during surprise inspections to nearest primary agriculture cooperative societies (PACS) and large area multi-purpose cooperative societies (LAMPCS) for distribution to farmers.