Hyderabad: Tension prevailed in Mahabubabad district headquarters on Thursday, December 25, as farmers staged a protest over the delay in urea distribution, blocking the Mahabubabad–Thorrur main road and bringing traffic to a complete standstill.
According to farmers, several of them had gathered at the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society (PACS) office from Wednesday night, waiting for urea. With no clarity on distribution, they spent the cold night outside the office, placing their footwear in queue lines to mark their turn and warming themselves by bonfires.
The situation escalated in the morning when the farmers staged a sit-in protest on the main road, raising slogans against the government and officials. Vehicles were stranded on both sides of the road for several hours due to the blockade.
Farmers question logic of issuing coupuns when application is down
The protesting farmers alleged that despite waiting since the previous night, the police asked them to leave the PACS premises around midnight. They questioned the logic of issuing coupons when the digital application used for distribution was not functioning properly. Farmers also accused officials of repeatedly postponing distribution by claiming that urea would arrive “tomorrow or the day after.”
“We left our agricultural work and waited the whole night, only to be sent back without urea,” the farmers said, expressing frustration over the repeated delays. They demanded immediate distribution and clarity on availability.
Police, agri officials hold talks
Following the protest, police and agriculture department officials held discussions with the farmers and assured them that fresh urea stocks would arrive by Friday and would be distributed immediately. After the assurance, the farmers called off the road blockade.
Farmers issue warning
However, the farmers warned that they would intensify their agitation if the promised distribution does not take place. “How long are we expected to suffer like this for basic agricultural inputs?” they asked, cautioning authorities against further delays.
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