Farmers no longer trust BJP Govt, says MLA Ranjit
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, September 01 2021: Accusing the BJP government of getting involved in black marketing of urea meant for farmers amid the hardships faced by the food producers due to Covid-19 pandemic, scanty rainfall and urea scarcity, Congress MLA K Ranjit has categorically stated that farmers can no longer trust the BJP government.

The MLA assessed cleanliness drive organised jointly by Covid-19 Task Force Kakching Khunou and Development Committee Kakching Khunou along Kakching Khunou Lamkhai to Kakching Khunou road on Wednesday and provided monetary assistance to the task force for providing food to Covid positive inmates staying in Kakching Khunou CHIC.

Interacting with the volunteers, MLA Ranjit said that youth of Kakching Khunou took the responsibility of planting several tree saplings about seven years ago along the road side and had been grooming them up.

Regarding the issue of urea scarcity, the MLA said that the suspicion of urea diverted to hill areas for poppy plantation expressed by Loumee Sinmee Apunba Lup (LOUSAL) could be true.

The total arable land area of the state is about 1.75 lakh hectares out of which around 79,000 hectares are in hill areas that do not use urea and around 28,000 hectares are submerged under water.

On the other hand, around 7500 hectares of farmland are being used for organic farming under MOM A.Out of the remaining 80,500 hectares, the state has lost large tracts of farmlands to construction of houses, schools, brick farms and other commercial structures.

Even if the remaining 80,500 hectares are calculated, the state needs only 2.41 lakh bags of urea.

In the recently concluded state assembly session, agriculture minister O Lukhoi stated that 3.14 lakh bags of urea have been brought into the state so far.

Only if the government is sincere enough in the distribution system, there should not be any shortage of urea in the state and farmers do not need to worry about urea.

Leader of the House, chief minister N Biren also assured Of providing urea to farmers within a week but the government has failed to keep its promise, Ranjit said and added that it is rather shameful of the government to fail to keep a promise it made on the floor of the state assembly.

Considering the failure of the government to keep its promises and to ensure adequate and timely distribution of urea to farmers despite having surplus quantity, it is evident that the government is involved in black marketing of urea.

At the same time, urea, which is controlled by the government alone, is available in abundance in the black market at a higher rate.

After a couple of days, farmers would no longer need urea as it should be applied within a specific time, he said.

Interestingly, the government is providing urea through intending candidates of BJP in different assembly constituencies and these individuals provide the same to their supporters only.

They also distribute the same at a higher rate than the rate fixed by the government, he said and added that the government has failed the farmers of the state and farmers should no longer trust the BJP government.

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