Ensure adequate fertilizer to farmers: student bodies to Govt
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 06 2021:
Four student bodies have jointly appealed to the State Government to ensure adequate fertilizer to the State farmers who are facing a tough time due to shortage of water and unavailability of fertilizers.
AMSU, AIMS, KSA and DESAM, in a joint statement hailed the recent announcement by the Agriculture Minister that there will be no shortage of fertilizers this kharif season and urged the Minister to keep his word.
The student bodies maintained that shortage of fertilizer has been an annual affair since many years and even if fertilizers are available they are sold at inflated prices in the grey market.
The bodies also pressed for reforms or relaxation in norms being followed while procuring subsidized fertilizers where farmers have to produce land patta.
With such norms being in force, the tenant farmers which constitute the majority of State farmers are unable to avail fertilizers at subsidized rates, it said while appealing the State Government to either put some relaxation or arrange and issue identity cards for the farmers through which the facility can be availed.
The student bodies also drew the attention of the Agriculture Department to run a helpline number to receive grievances faced by farmers while procuring fertilizers or a separate grievance cell where farmers can air their inconveniences directly to the officials.
The bodies went on to highlight that most of the paddy fields are parched due to deficient rainfall and efforts are on to draw water to these fields through water pumps.
But due to hike in diesel price, the farmers are facing an additional burden, the bodies said and appealed three Departments-Agriculture Department, Minor Irrigation Department and Water Resources Department to constitute a co-ordinating committee and help alleviate the hardships being faced by the farmers.