Hyderabad: Farmers from Telangana’s Mahabubabad district were seen piling up on an Agro centre owner distributing tokens for urea on Saturday, September 6.
In a video that has surfaced on the internet from the Nellikudur mandal of Mahabubabad, an Agro centre owner is seen giving out tokens for urea. However, farmers are seen surrounding and pulling at him to get the tokens.
In an attempt to disperse the farmers, the Agro centre owner is seen throwing the tokens at the crowd and freeing himself.
This is just one of many incidents showcasing farmer’s desperation amid the urea crisis in the state. Just a day earlier, two female farmers were seen getting into an altercation outside the Agros Rythu Seva Kendra at Vivekananda Center in Mahabubabad district.
The two farmers were seen hitting one another with their slippers and pulling at each others hair and clothes as dozens of others lined up in front of the Agros center to receive urea.
On the other hand, Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday denied that there was a shortage of urea in the state and said that people were protesting over having to stand in long queues.
“Farmers are standing in long queues and getting tired, saying there is no urea. In reality, since everyone gathers at the same centre, the queue looks very long. To reach the person at the end of the line, it takes about eight hours. Unable to wait that long, some are losing patience and staging protests,” the chief minister said.
He also alleged that certain individuals were instigating farmers. “Someone is taking farmers near the urea centres and making them sit on the road,” he remarked.
Urea supply in Telangana
The Chief Minister’s office on Friday stated that 11,181 metric tonnes (MT) of urea had arrived in the state on Friday and 9,039 MT would arrive on Saturday. They also mentioned that a total of 8,20,112 MT of urea has been sold this year, including the 28,000 MT which was supplied in the first 4 days of September.
They further added that Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao has secured 2 lakh MT from the Centre and 30,000 MT from domestic units.
The CM’s office has stated that more urea has been supplied this year as compared to last year and has urged farmers to buy only as needed and to avoid hoarding.
In addition to this, the Agriculture Minister also stated that in areas where only one or two PACS (Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies) exist, farmers will now be supplied fertilizers through Rythu Vedikas, with tokens issued in advance based on passbooks, village by village.
As a part of his Delhi tour, the Minister brought the urea situation in Telangana to the notice of Union Ministers and requested for 2 lakh metric tonnes of urea to be supplied over the next 20 days.
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