NEDF takes fertilizer issue to PM
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN
Imphal, August 28 2013:
The North East Dialogue Forum (NEDF) has taken up the issue of non-availability of fertilizers in Manipur to the Prime Minister's table in the form of submitting a lengthy memorandum highlighting the plights of the farmers in Manipur.
The Forum co-ordinator Soraisam Dhanabir along with the representatives of farmers from nine districts of Manipur while addressing the media today at Manipur Press Club this morning, said farmers are finding hard to get fertilizers and the issue has been highlighted to the Prime Minister, Union Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, DoNER minister Pawan Singh Ghatowar, Manipur chief minister Ibobi Singh, Manipur Agriculture minister Abdul Nasir and also to Governor Dr Ashwani Kumar.
"Where have all the fertilizers gone? Since the year 2003 the farmers have been facing this problem," Soraisam Dhanabir said while asking the authority concerned.
The Forum co-ordinator further said that about 40% of the farmers are borrowing money from money lenders to purchase fertilizers at the very high rate at the costs ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 800 per bag.
"Actually, the farmers should be getting the commodity at the subsidised rate of Rs 260 per bag," Soraisam Dhanabir further pointed out.
The farmers and the North East Dialogue Forum then demanded for the immediate investigation into the shortage of fertilizers in Manipur by special investigation agencies and award the culprits with befitting punishments.
They also demanded for the introduction of agricultural and farmers policies in Manipur.
They further demanded for the decommissioning of the Ithai Barrage and the Loktak Project immediately.
Meanwhile, Soraisam Dhanabir lamented that no civil organisations worth their names have so far come forth with concern towards the farmer's plights.
"This is one very unfortunate case.
We are not surprise when politicians do not address this problem as lies and hollow promises are the way of politicians' style but at least the civil bodies should have done the needful," Dhanabir rued.