Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Lakhs of farmers are not getting fertiliser in Madhya Pradesh as they have not repaid loans they took from banks and credit cooperative societies.
This is what Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Anil Yadav claimed here on Tuesday. However, government officials said fertiliser has been given Kisan Credit Cards (KCC).
According to Yadav, DAP is available in open market at Rs 1700 to Rs 1800 per sack instead of Rs 1200 and urea is available at Rs 470 to Rs 500 instead of Rs 266.50 per sack. “Be it defaulters and non-defaulters, farmers are not getting fertiliser,” he added.
Meanwhile, state agriculture minister Kamal Patel denied that there is shortage of fertiliser in the state. “Defaulter farmers who have to clear dues should purchase from private traders as rate is same. If any trader is charging more, the farmers should complain in writing, then action will be taken,” he added.
Patel said state government had provided facilities of loan of up to Rs 1 lakh for farmers and farmers were told to return Rs 90,000 instead Rs 1 lakh but many famers did not return. The state government has attributed problems in distribution to farmers purchasing well in advance, Patel said.
Recently, over 50,000 famers were reported moving from pillar to post for fertiliser in Ratlam as they were defaulters, having accounts in bank and credit cooperative societies.
Ratlam Collector Kumar Purshottam said, “We have sealed three private shops when we came to know that traders are selling at overrated price. Priority is given to farmers who have cleared their dues. We are distributing urea on KCC to farmers.”
On Tuesday, Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers Dr Mansukh Mandaviya reviewed the availability of fertilisers in the country with agriculture ministers of all the states.
