Panchayat poll candidates urged not to demand urea
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 19 2022: While maintaining that the Agriculture Department has been working wholeheartedly to provide urea fertiliser to farmers, director (agriculture) M Gojendro has said that the department faces immense difficulty when aspirant candidates of Panchayat election demand urea from the department and appealed to them not put up such demand anymore.

Addressing media persons at his office on Friday, M Gojendro said that the department has been providing urea to farmers' organisations, organisations identified and facilitated by MLAs and also to individual farmers.

The department has been working sincerely with regard to urea distribution though there might be delay in making the essential agriculture item available due to road and transport problem.

To ensure that every farmer gets urea, the department even appoint private dealers at locality and village level and 25 such private dealers are providing urea to farmers despite delay due to transportation issues.

Individual farmers can also procure urea from DAOs concerned after verification by field staff of the department.

According to M Gojendro, a total 6,700 bags of urea has been provided for Lamsang assembly constituency so far and there is also strong possibility of farmers of the constituency getting urea from DAO Imphal West which arranged 7,000 urea bags for the district to make up the shortage, if any.

DAO Imphal West S Kenedy, who also attended the press conference, told media persons that media report about farmers of Potsangbam ZP not getting urea is not rationale.

He said that the department provided 7,513 urea bags for 13 assembly constituencies of Imphal West district from July 11 till August 1 to make up the shortage and the department has been making arrangement to deal with any shortage.

He then advised farmers needing urea to consult the nearest agriculture office.

Assistant fertiliser officer N Shantakumar, who also attended the press conference, said that Potsangbam ZP member Boby's allegation against the department through media was very unfortunate as Boby was apprised about present problems faced by the department in urea distribution on Thursday itself.

He said that the department is making hectic arrangement for distributing urea to farmers step by step.

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