IPSA slams Govt, demands immediate measures
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 08 2021: Taking serious note over problems besetting farmers of the state due to inadequate allocation of urea amid the Covid-19 pandemic and lack of proper irrigation facility, International Peace and Social Advancement (IPSA) has demanded the government to take up immediate measures to ensure sufficient availability of urea to the food producers.

In a statement, IPSA secretary (IPR) TK Meetei said that farmers are among the worst hit groups of people by Covid-19 pandemic and related restrictions imposed by the government.

Besides, rainfall deficit and absence of proper irrigation facility are posing the risk of crop failure as the plantation season is about to laspe.

As a result, the farmers are putting in their best efforts to irrigate their farmlands and ensure regular production.

However, they are facing untold hardships due to the failure of the agriculture department to provide adequate fertiliser at the right time.

Amid this challenging situation, farmers are forced to travel long distances and spend overnight in front of department offices to get urea for application in their fields.

So far, the department has not taken up any significant measures to ensure delivery of urea to the farmers except for some impractical system and distribution by some political activists with an eye on the forthcoming assembly election.

However, this distribution system fails to reach all the farmers and it rather infuriates the farmers.

Earlier, the government make it a point to gloat over its policy of ensuring adequate and timely provision of fertiliser to the farmers.

The minister concerned even flagged off urea laden trucks just to show off his commitment towards farmers' welfare.

However, those initiatives did nothing to ensure timely availability of urea to the farmers, the statement said and added that belated provision of fertiliser will not bring any positive result in crop production and the government should know it.

Today, farmers from different parts of the stale are raising their voices against the failure of the government in delivering area and IPSA takes the matter seriously.

It would not be wise on the part of the government to infuriate the farmers any further.

Instead, the government should take up proactive measures to deliver the requirement to all the farmers across the state before it is too late.

It also urged the government not to create an artificial famine amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

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