Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): While protests by farmers in Madhya Pradesh continue unabated, Union minister of state for chemical and fertilizers Bhagwanth Khuba on Thursday refused to acknowledge shortage of fertilizers in the country.
"Rumours are doing rounds in certain quarters that there is going to be a fertilizer shortage in the country and that farmers should stock adequate fertilizer for the next four months. These claims are false and completely baseless," Khuba told media persons at Bengaluru.
Interestingly, couple of days ago, Union minister for agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar, who had to face ire of farmers at Sabalgarh in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh, had admitted shortage of fertilizers in the state when a stampede-like situation occurred outside a cooperative society wherein farmers had queued for fertilizers.
To control the situation, police even had to resort to lathi-charge, visuals of which went viral on social media.
This apart, road blockades by farmers for want of fertilizers and instances of loot have also been reported in the state.
Amidst all this, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in veiled admission to the shortage had assured farmers that 32 additional rakes of fertilizers will reach various places in the state by October 30.
Protests by farmers for fertilizers have been reported from various districts including Morena, Ashok Nagar, Guna, Tikamgarh, and others.
Enraged farmers had manhandled SDO (agriculture) Mukesh Raghuvashi in Ashok Nagar on October 25 over token distribution for fertilizers procurement. FIR was registered against the farmers involved in manhandling.
State to get fertilizers in adequate quantity: CM
In review meeting, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that 32 additional rakes of fertilizers will reach various places in the state by October 30.
“This urea will be made available to the farmers. Discussion has been held with the Government of India for supply of fertilizers in October. We will definitely get fertilizers as per the requirement of the state,” the CM reportedly said in the meeting.
By the end of October last year, 3.48 lakh metric tonnes of urea had been lifted by the farmers. This year, 3.18 lakh metric tonnes have been lifted. The remaining quantity will also be made available by the end of this month i.e. by October 30. Last year till the end of October, 2.78 lakh metric tonnes of DAP was purchased by the farmers. This year, 2.31 lakh metric tonnes of DAP have been purchased by farmers and the remaining quantity is also being made available.