Farmers being misled on urea shortage: BJP

The Hindu

3 days ago

The BJP has accused the Congress Government of sowing the seeds of doubt into the minds of farmers in Telangana about the purported shortage of urea for the Rabi season, even when the Centre had actually supplied three lakh metric tonnes more.
Addressing the farmers' wing (Kisan Morcha) of the party, during a meeting of its office-bearers at the State BJP office here on Thursday, party president N. Ramchander Rao said that the 'urea shortage bogey' is being created by the ruling party only to reap the benefit during the forthcoming local body polls.
The BJP chief charged the government with spreading falsehoods when the Centre had supplied 12.02 lakh metric tonnes of urea for the 24-25 agriculture season, when the demand was just 9.5 lakh metric tonnes. In fact, under the Modi Government, necessary steps were taken to provide ample supply of fertilizers to farmers across the country and also in dealing with black marketers with an iron hand, unlike the UPA regime 'where farmers were forced to stand in queues for obtaining it', he added.
Yet, the Congress Government here wants to mislead farmers and to cover up its own failures in not ensuring proper payment of Rythu Bharosa, which has been cut from the promised ₹15,000 during the elections to ₹12,000, but now ₹6,000 is being credited into farmers' accounts, he said.
Mr. Ramchander Rao also said that the farmers' welfare scheme payment was made last month only after the High Court had directed the local body polls to be held by September end. It has been 19 months since the Government has come to power but there has been no movement to provide the farm insurance which would help the famers during natural calamities under the PM Fasal Bima Yojana and following the BRS Government in this connection, he said.
The former MLC also questioned the government about the Bhu Bharati module replacing the controversial Dharani of BRS regime and said it is marked with technical glitches. 'Farmers are forced to run around registration offices for justice still and there is a lack of accountability from the administration side. We should go to the local level and highlight farmers' grievances,' he advised the wing.
The BJP leader said such is the sad financial condition in the State that retired employees are being denied benefits and made to run from pillar to post. General secretary G. Premender Reddy, farmers' wing national executive member G. Madhusudhan Reddy and others were present.
Medak tour
Mr. Ramchander Rao will tour Medak district and participate in various programmes, organised by the BJP, in Narsapur, Chegonta, Medak, and Toopran, on Friday, said a press release.