Stop fertiliser politics, begin open sale: AIFB
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, August 07 2021:
Deeply saddened and concerned over the problems being faced by farmers in getting urea fertiliser, All India Forward Block, Manipur State Committee (AIFB/MSC) has categorically stated that there is no meaning of having agriculture department or a minister in charge of agriculture if the fertiliser required by the farmers could not be provided in time.
AIFB also asked the government to stop regulating distribution of urea if it is unable to allocate the same to the farmers in time and make it available to the farmers in open sale.
It further expressed serious concern over cheap politics being played in distribution of urea and asked all concerned to stop playing such politics.
The agriculture department has to play a main role and shoulder its responsibility in making the state self-sufficient in food production by helping farmers and taking up agriculture related policies and programmes from time to time for development of the sector.
However, the department seems almost defunct and unable to help farmers in time, AIFB/MSC said in a statement, adding that the department could not provide water to paddy fields when almost entire paddy fields of the state remained dry during sowing season.
Apart from this, the department has failed to provide adequate fertiliser to farmers of this tiny state, it added.
Even though farmers from remote areas went to district agriculture office to get one/two bags of urea, it has become loss of time and money and even physical and social harassment for them.
Urea is listed among items regulated by the government but the agriculture department is unable to provide the same to farmers at the rate fixed by the government while it is being sold at exorbitant rate by some people, the party alleged.