Farmers should shift to green manure as Centre to slash urea supply by 50%: Cheluvarayaswamy
Speaking to reporters at Naganahalli, the Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that the Centre will slash urea supply by 50% in the days ahead, and hence, the farmers should brace for the change.
Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy said this was inevitable to reduce the use of chemicals in fertilizers, and farmers will be encouraged to shift to green fertilizers.
In reply to a question, Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy said that he recently visited a farm. and the farmer has stopped using chemicals for the last 10 years. But there has been no decline in crop output, he added.
The Minister said that for decades, the farmers were advised to use chemicals and urea-based fertilizers, and they were quite used to the practice. So it may be difficult for them to make the shift suddenly.
Farmers will be reoriented to eschew the use of chemical fertilizers, he added.
Since scientific studies were proving the deleterious impact of the use of chemical fertilizers, it was essential to rollback their use and shift to green alternatives, Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy said, adding that the government was creating awareness drive among the farmers in this regard.
'The Centre's decision in slashing the urea supply by 50% is a welcome move, and it is essential to preserve soil fertility,' said the Minister.
In the review meeting, the Minister cautioned officials against negligence and dereliction of duty during field visits or apathy in the implementation of government schemes.
The officials were instructed to guide farmers on alternative crops based on prevailing climatic conditions, to prioritise mechanisation, to implement Krishi Bhagya scheme, and to organic farming etc.
The Minister emphasised that research findings should benefit the farmers, and they should be impressed upon the benefits of value addition in agricultural produce.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Ramalinga Reddy slams BJP for taking credit for metro project, says Karnataka's contribution much higher
Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Saturday hit out at BJP leaders, including State president B.Y. Vijayendra and MP for Bengaluru South Tejasvi Surya, for claiming that the Yellow Line — set to be inaugurated on August 10 — was solely a Central government initiative. Speaking at a press conference here, Mr. Reddy said the BJP was more interested in publicity than work and accused its leaders of ignoring the State's major financial role. 'They do not even know the history of the metro project in Karnataka. In 2006, when N. Dharam Singh was the Chief Minister, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone. The metro project is a people's institution, not the property of any political party,' he said. Funding pattern Asserting that in this project, the State government is not a minor partner, Mr. Reddy released documents to show the funding pattern. 'In every phase, Karnataka has contributed as much or more than the Centre, including land acquisition and cost escalations. In Phase 1, the State gave 30% plus land while the Centre's contribution was 25%; in Phase 2, the Centre's share was just 20%, and in Phase 3, Karnataka bore land and rehabilitation costs entirely,' he said. Dismissing Mr. Surya's claim that Congress governments built only 6 km of metro, the Transport Minister said: 'In Phase 1 alone, we planned 42 km. The State has spent ₹24,064.3 crore against the Centre's ₹17,803.85 crore, with ₹43,498.53 crore raised through loans guaranteed by the State'. Delays by Centre Countering an allegation that delays caused a loss of ₹400 crore per km, Mr. Reddy said: 'Is the Centre not equally responsible? Who delayed the arrival of train coaches? Who issues environmental clearances? Is it not the Central government? All these approvals come after Union Cabinet clearance. Even the route safety certificate comes from the Centre. So the delays are due to them. For 11 years, the BJP has ruled at the Centre. They purposely delay because Congress is in power in the State and then blame us. Our Chief Minister has put pressure on the Union Ministers concerned for clearances.' He also accused Karnataka's BJP MPs of failing to raise the issue of the 15th Finance Commission's allocation of ₹11,495 crore for the Peripheral Ring Road and lake development, which he said was denied to the State. 'They will not speak up in Parliament for Karnataka's share but will criticise the State government here,' he remarked. On the issue of metro fare hikes, Mr. Reddy clarified that the decision rests with a committee appointed by the Centre, whose report is approved by the Delhi Metro Board, headed by a senior Union Urban Development Ministry official.
Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Women's collective urges Assam govt to reconsider 'lenient' arms licence policy
Guwahati, A women's collective in Assam on Saturday urged the state government to reconsider its decision to allow licensed arms to "indigenous people in sensitive areas", expressing apprehension that it might lead to a proliferation of weapons and even possible civil conflicts. Women's collective urges Assam govt to reconsider 'lenient' arms licence policy It said that the government should focus on strengthening law enforcement agencies and personnel to deal with any threats, rather than "weaponising" civilians through the "lenient" policy. A meeting of 'Nari Nagarik Manch' , an apolitical platform for uniting women's voices, here discussed the issue of arms licensing to indigenous people and its repercussions and consequences for the society. It maintained that the decision will propagate gun culture in the state, underlining that the state has been working on the surrender of arms after witnessing decades of militancy and the "lenient" arms licenses will reverse years of peace building. It expressed apprehensions that the government's decision could lead to a "civil war scenario, increase gender violence and cause arms proliferation". In a democratic set-up, there is no scope of militarisation and polarisation. The focus should be on empowering law-enforcement agencies, the participants said. The meeting decided to submit a memorandum, demanding repeal of the government's decision, to the president, prime minister, governor and chief minister, among others. It further resolved to initiate filing of a public interest litigation and also build up a social media campaign against the decision. The Assam cabinet had on May 28 decided that the government would give arms licenses to indigenous people living in "vulnerable and remote" areas for instilling a sense of security in them. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, informing of the decision, had identified Dhubri, Morigaon, Barpeta, Nagaon and South Salmara-Mankachar districts, and localities like Rupahi, Dhing and Jania are such areas, which are all minority-dominated places. He had claimed that indigenous people in such areas have been demanding arms licence for safety purposes since the Assam Agitation period, a movement against illegal Bangladeshis between 1979-85. The government is also setting up a digital portal where eligible people can apply for arms licenses, Sarma had said earlier this month. The arms license will be granted to individuals after proper scrutiny and a multi-layered process, the CM posted on X. Opposition leaders had criticised the government's decision, maintaining that it is a move to "polarise" the public and will jeopardise the state's hard-won peace. They also sought the Centre's intervention to revoke the decision at the earliest. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
NDTV
6 hours ago
- NDTV
Congress Claims Credit For Bengaluru Metro Yellow Line, Set To Be Inaugurated By PM Tomorrow
Bengaluru: Bengaluru's much-awaited Metro Yellow Line is set to be inaugurated tomorrow by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But before the event, the political battle over credit for the project has heated up, with Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy launching a sharp counter to BJP claims and releasing documents to show the contribution of the state government for the Yellow Line project. Mr Reddy accused BJP leaders, including BY Vijayendra and Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, of projecting the entire Metro project as the Centre's achievement while sidelining the state's contributions. He reminded them of the project's origins dating back to 2006 when then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone under the Congress-led Dharam Singh government in Karnataka and asserted that "the Metro belongs to the people, not any one party." The minister released documents and detailed funding patterns across the three phases, stressing that the Karnataka government has been the major partner, often contributing as much or more than the Centre. Through the documents he shared with the media, he claimed that In Phase 1, the state contributed 30 per cent (including land), the Centre 25 per cent, with the rest borrowed. In Phase 2, the Centre's share dropped to 20 per cent, with the state covering cost overruns and providing land. Phase 3 sees the state putting up 20 per cent plus all land and rehabilitation costs, again with the Centre at 20 per cent. Mr Reddy said the state has given guarantees for all BMRCL loans, which means the states' taxpayers are liable if repayments falter. He questioned why BJP MPs were undermining their own state and ignoring the state's financial role. Taking on Mr Surya's claim that only 6 km of Metro was built under Congress, Mr Reddy said Phase 1 included 42 km planned under Congress rule. The project's costs rose from an initial Rs 6,395 crore estimate to Rs 14,405 crore, with the state ultimately contributing Rs 24,064.30 crore versus the Centre's Rs 17,803.85 crore. He accused the BJP-led Centre of withholding Rs 11,495 crore allocated by the 15th Finance Commission for projects like the Peripheral Ring Road and lake development, while state MPs remain silent in parliament. Mr Reddy blamed the Centre for delays in the Yellow Line, citing late environmental clearances, coach deliveries, and safety certificates all under central jurisdiction. "Since Congress is in power in Karnataka, they deliberately delayed approvals and then blamed us," he alleged. On BJP leaders' claims of resolving technical and land acquisition issues, Mr Reddy dismissed them as "state responsibilities," except in cases where land belongs to the Centre or Defence Ministry. He also reiterated that fare hikes are decided by a central committee, not the state. With both parties locked in a war of words, Sunday's inauguration is shaping up to be a politically charged event , another reminder that in Bengaluru's infrastructure story, politics often travels as fast as the Metro itself.
