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Indian Express
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Decode Politics: Why Haryana fertiliser crisis has landed Saini govt in a spot
Farmers across Haryana have been struggling to obtain urea and di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) fertilisers in recent days, even as the BJP-led state government has continued to claim that there was no shortage of fertilisers. However, many farmers seem to have joined long queues, braving heavy rains in their bid to secure fertilisers. In Charkhi Dadri district, for instance, police were deployed to ensure orderly distribution amid growing tensions on Monday. Protests have already erupted at several locations across the state. With over two-thirds of Haryana's population directly or indirectly reliant on agriculture, the issue has taken centre stage in state politics. The Opposition has seized on the crisis, attacking the government for what it calls a failure to ensure uninterrupted fertiliser supply. As the second-largest contributor to India's Central foodgrain pool, Haryana — often referred to as the 'bread basket of India' along with Punjab — finds itself in the middle of a agricultural row and a political showdown. Haryana officials cite two main reasons behind the current panic over a shortage of fertilisers. The first is the advance sowing of paddy prompted by early monsoon rains in the region. The second is the announcement by the state government that the fertiliser distribution would soon be restricted to farmers registered on the government's 'Meri Fasal-Mera Byora' portal, detailing crops sown on their land. Officials believe this shift has triggered anxiety among farmers, many of whom fear they might be left out of the fertiliser supply system. As one official noted, 'Even those farmers who don't need urea and DAP immediately have rushed to procure them, creating panic across farming communities.' In part, the panic has also been rooted in previous years' fertiliser shortfalls. Government figures show that of the 10.07 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of urea allocated for this season, 5.8 lakh MT has already arrived in the state. Combined with the earlier stock of 2.7 lakh MT, total availability is 8.5 lakh MT, with 7.5 lakh MT already sold. 'Farmers only need 5.91 lakh MT of urea from April 1 to July 19,' an official claimed. Regarding DAP fertilisers, officials said that 1.46 lakh MT had landed in Haryana against an allocation of 2.83 lakh MT, with 1.1 lakh MT sold and 36,000 MT currently in stock. An additional 5,467 MT is in transit. Farmers needed 1.37 lakh MT for the April-July period, according to the officials. Farmer leaders, however, argue this crisis is 'real and urgent'. Rakesh Bains, a Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader from Kurukshetra, said, 'The farmers immediately need urea for their crop of paddy but they want to take DAP too to meet their future needs.' Tejveer Singh of the BKU (Shaheed Bhagat Singh) said, 'Farmers in rural areas are struggling more to obtain fertilisers than those living near towns.' On July 17, angry protesters allegedly held an agriculture department official hostage in Pehowa and blocked the Hisar-Chandigarh highway. Congress leader and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and INLD chief Abhay Singh Chautala accused the Nayab Singh Saini-led BJP government of 'failing' to maintain uninterrupted fertiliser supply. Deepender Singh Hooda, the Congress's Rohtak MP, said, 'With the kharif season's planting in full swing, farmers are deeply worried about saving their crops due to the unavailability of fertilisers. Even women and children from farmers' families are forced to wait in long queues through the night for several days — yet they still don't receive sufficient quantities of DAP and urea.' State Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shyam Singh Rana held a video-conference meeting with senior officials Tuesday to assess the fertiliser situation in Haryana. Rana reiterated that there was no shortage of fertilisers in any district and assured that the supply was being managed according to the demand. Rana said the government has intensified its vigilance and enforcement efforts to curb black marketing, hoarding, adulteration, and illegal tagging (a practice that often forces farmers to buy substandard products) of fertilisers. As part of these measures, 1,974 inspections have recently been conducted across Haryana. The crackdown has resulted in the registration of eight FIRs, suspension of 26 dealer licences, revocation of one licence, and issuance of 96 show-cause notices. The minister also appealed to farmers to purchase fertilisers based strictly on the immediate requirements of the kharif season. He urged them to refrain from stockpiling fertilisers for the Rabi season in advance, cautioning that such practices could lead to unnecessary shortages and disrupt equitable distribution. Amid a DAP fertiliser crisis last year, the Centre in November 2024 allocated 1.1 lakh MT of DAP to farmers in Haryana. At the time, the Saini government said it had been in touch with Union Chemical and Fertilisers Minister J P Nadda to ensure timely supply of the allocated fertiliser. Then too, the state government had said there was no fertiliser shortage. Haryana had faced fertiliser shortages under the previous Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government too. In 2021, for instance, a spike in global prices had hurt India's import capacity. Since last year, the Centre has sought to discourage farmers from applying too much urea and DAP as a key policy goal. In recent years, global disruptions like the Russian invasion of Ukraine, have led to shocks in the supply of fertiliser in India, which is heavily dependent on its imports. The rupee's depreciation has also had a negative impact on imports.
Indian Express
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
MP Satnam Sandhu seeks Bharat Ratna for Shaheed Bhagat Singh
Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu Monday urged the Union government to posthumously confer the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, on three iconic martyrs of the freedom struggle from Punjab — Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Udham Singh and Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra. Raising the demand on the opening day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Sandhu said, 'It is ironic and deeply painful that even after 77 years of independence, these legendary martyrs have not been awarded the Bharat Ratna. Their ideology and sacrifice continue to inspire generations of Indians, especially the youth.' Calling the move a 'true tribute to their martyrdom', Sandhu said the demand reflected not only 'the public sentiments of Punjab and its people but the entire nation's conscience'. He described the trio as 'symbols of India's unrelenting spirit, resilience and resistance against colonial oppression'. Appealing to the Centre to 'awaken the national consciousness', the MP added, 'Under the Modi government, real national heroes are being honoured, irrespective of caste, creed, religion or socio-economic status. I urge the Union government to keep this spirit alive by conferring Bharat Ratna on Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Udham Singh and Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra.' Sandhu also recalled their sacrifices: 'Bhagat Singh, who embraced martyrdom at 23, remains a lasting symbol of fearless defiance; Udham Singh avenged the Jallianwala Bagh massacre by assassinating General O'Dwyer in London; and Madan Lal Dhingra, one of the earliest revolutionaries, shocked the British Empire by killing Curzon Wyllie in 1909.'
Indian Express
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘We just want them home': Punjab families await return of their sons amid escalating Israel-Iran tensions
Amid an open conflict between Israel and Iran, a wave of fresh anxiety has swept through three villages in Punjab. The families of Husanpreet Singh (27), Amritpal Singh (23), and Jaspal Singh (32)— who were kidnapped in Iran while attempting to migrate to Australia — are clinging to hope, even as fears grow over their safe return from a region now gripped by military chaos. Even as the families said that they trust the Indian government, which has assured them of the men's safe return, their fears have intensified with Iran now embroiled in a full-blown tension. The three men, who hail from Sangrur, Hoshiarpur, and Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar, were missing for weeks after falling victim to a transnational human trafficking ring. Having paid Rs 18 lakh each to travel agents based in Hoshiarpur who had promised a legal entry to Australia, their journey was derailed in Tehran, where they were kidnapped, beaten, and held for ransom. Manpreet Singh, cousin of 27-year-old Husanpreet Singh from Dhuri who received a phone call from an Iranian number on June 3, said, 'Can't explain in words, it was such a big relief when he first called saying he is safe now. He said that the Indian authorities have rescued them and they were now being taken to the embassy.' He started calling us daily after that saying that the formalities for their return were being completed. And now, with news of fresh tension, we are very worried.' Yudhvir Singh, cousin of 23-year-old Amritpal Singh said, 'We waited through silence, torture videos, and ransom threats. Now we wait through the Israel-Iran tension. They told us then that they are now safe,' he added. Ashok Kumar, brother of Jaspal Singh from SBS Nagar, added that Jaspal had told him last week that it would take at least a week for them to return. 'But now this conflict has added a new layer. We saw the news about how Israeli forces struck multiple Iranian facilities, and how Iran has responded with attacks on Israel,' he said. He added, 'Jaspal told us that due to their prolonged stay in Tehran after the kidnapping, new travel documents are being prepared. This process has caused delays; otherwise, they would have returned by now, as they were rescued by Iranian police on the evening of June 3. It has now been 10 days since their rescue.' What began in April as a dream migration quickly turned into a nightmare. After being flown to Dubai, the three were taken to Iran under a false promise of onward flights to Australia. There they were stripped, and tortured by captors allegedly linked to a Pakistan-based human trafficking syndicate.
India Today
25-04-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Amid India-Pak tensions, Kartarpur corridor remains open for pilgrims
Amid tensions between India and Pakistan, Kartarpur corridor remains open for pilgrimsAmid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack, the Kartarpur corridor at Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab's Gurdaspur district remains open for pilgrims to offer prayers at the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara in the neighbouring Kartarpur corridor links the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, to the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Devotees on Friday continued to visit the Kartarpur corridor at Dera Baba Nanak for paying obeisance at the historic gurdwara in pilgrims sought that the Kartarpur corridor should remain open."The corridor should remain open for pilgrims," said a Sikh devotee from Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar district.A woman pilgrim too said the corridor should not be pilgrims strongly condemned the dastardly terror attack in Pahalgam and said exemplary action should be taken against the people, mostly tourists, were killed and several injured when terrorists opened fire at a meadow near the popular tourist town of Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag district on Tuesday Kartarpur corridor was opened on November 9, 2019 on the occasion of Guru Nanak Dev's 550th birth pilgrims of all faiths are allowed to undertake visa-free travel throughout the year to the historic gurdwara in to an agreement signed between India and Pakistan, a total of 5,000 pilgrims per day can cross over to the neighbouring country for paying obeisance at the Centre on Wednesday announced a raft of measures, including expulsion of Pakistani military attaches, suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 and immediate shutting down of the Attari land-transit post, in view of the cross-border links to the Pahalgam Secretary Vikram Misri said Pakistani nationals will not be allowed to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) and any Pakistani national currently in India under the scheme had 48 hours to leave the decisions were taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It was announced at the meeting that the integrated check-post (ICP) at Attari will be closed immediately and those who crossed over to Pakistan with valid documents may return through that route before May Centre on Thursday announced revoking all visas issued to Pakistani nationals from April 27 and advised Indian nationals residing in Pakistan to return home at the earliest as tensions between the two neighbours escalated following the Pahalgam InTrending Reel
NDTV
25-04-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Amid India-Pak Tensions, Kartarpur Corridor Remains Open For Pilgrims
Chandigarh: Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack, the Kartarpur corridor at Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab's Gurdaspur district remains open for pilgrims to offer prayers at the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara in the neighbouring country. The Kartarpur corridor links the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, to the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur. Devotees on Friday continued to visit the Kartarpur corridor at Dera Baba Nanak for paying obeisance at the historic gurdwara in Pakistan. The pilgrims sought that the Kartarpur corridor should remain open. "The corridor should remain open for pilgrims," said a Sikh devotee from Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar district. A woman pilgrim too said the corridor should not be shut. The pilgrims strongly condemned the dastardly terror attack in Pahalgam and said exemplary action should be taken against the perpetrators. Twenty-six people, mostly tourists, were killed and several injured when terrorists opened fire at a meadow near the popular tourist town of Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag district on Tuesday afternoon. The Kartarpur corridor was opened on November 9, 2019 on the occasion of Guru Nanak Dev's 550th birth anniversary. Indian pilgrims of all faiths are allowed to undertake visa-free travel throughout the year to the historic gurdwara in Pakistan. According to an agreement signed between India and Pakistan, a total of 5,000 pilgrims per day can cross over to the neighbouring country for paying obeisance at the gurdwara. The Centre on Wednesday announced a raft of measures, including expulsion of Pakistani military attaches, suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 and immediate shutting down of the Attari land-transit post, in view of the cross-border links to the Pahalgam attack. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said Pakistani nationals will not be allowed to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) and any Pakistani national currently in India under the scheme had 48 hours to leave the country. The decisions were taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It was announced at the meeting that the integrated check-post (ICP) at Attari will be closed immediately and those who crossed over to Pakistan with valid documents may return through that route before May 1. The Centre on Thursday announced revoking all visas issued to Pakistani nationals from April 27 and advised Indian nationals residing in Pakistan to return home at the earliest as tensions between the two neighbours escalated following the Pahalgam attack.
