A poor joke on farmers
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: August 03, 2012 -

First, the state government came up with the idea of subsidizing Urea fertilizer and making them available to the farmers at the rate of Rs 278.80 per bag of 50 kg at a time when agricultural land in most part of the state were remaining dry due to shortage of rainfall and lack of irrigational facilities. Of course, the decision did not go down well with the farmers.

Instead of lapping up to the decision of slashing the price of Urea, the distressed farmers smelt a rat behind the overtly generous overtures of the state government and exerted greater force for declaration of drought in state.

At that time, it was not fertilizer at cheaper price, but adequate water in their field that was immediately required by farmers. The poor taste of the joke played by the government felt flat on its face until the seasonal monsoon rain came out from its hike and seek game and poured down much to the greater relief of the government than the worried farmers.

After everything appears to be back to normal, now another joke of extremely poor taste has surfaced in the revelation of a huge quantity of Urea fertilizer meant for distribution among the farmers of the state at subsidized rate found siphoning off and sold outside the state and subsequent seizure of around 1,500 bags of Urea out of the state fertilizer quota from a tea garden in Assam by officials of Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation.

State fertilizer quota being diverted for non-agricultural usage or smuggling out of the key farm nutrients across the border is not a new thing in Manipur. In fact, various audit reports of CAG in the past have never failed to take serious note over such anomalies.

How police in Chandel district seized 93 tonnes of fertilizer while being smuggled to Myanmar in 2008 is still fresh in the mind of the people and the famers in particular.

So, the latest incident of recovering 1,500 bags of Urea from a tea garden in Assam may not come as much of a shocker.

But the greater issue at stake is the total indifference of the state Agriculture Department officials to act despite the matter being brought to their notice by officials of Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation, who, concerned over further siphoning off of fertilizer from the state quota, have even imposed ban on lifting of fertilizer from the company.

However, contrary to giving any response to the missive of the company, an official of Agriculture Department is said to have issued permit to five trucks for lifting fertilizer from the company.

This has only aroused, if not strengthen, the suspicion of the farmers over possible involvement of officials of state Agriculture Department in selling off the state quota of fertilizer.

On the other hand, giving a new meaning to the terminology of 'providing Urea at subsidized rate' by the state government, it is funny how the farmers are being given Urea bags of supposed 50 kg with 8 kg less.

This is, indeed, the only good part in the whole joke.