The Opposition hit the streets and submitted a memorandum to the Government seeking his intervention to ameliorate the plight of farmers, who are apprehensive of loss in kharif crop yield as fertilizer supplier is erratic across the State during the ongoing kharif season.
With farmers across the state feeling the pinch of fertilizer shortage, the Biju Janata DaL (BJD), Odisha’s principal Opposition party, on Monday staged a noisy protest near the Raj Bhawan slamming the ruling BJP Government for perpetrating the prevailing crisis as desperate farmers struggle to procure ‘elusive’ fertilizer.
The Opposition hit the streets and submitted a memorandum to the Government seeking his intervention to ameliorate the plight of farmers, who are apprehensive of loss in kharif crop yield as fertilizer supplier is erratic across the State during the ongoing kharif season.
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It’s pertinent to note here that farmers across the State continue to stage protest over the inadequate supply of fertilizer even though Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi recently claimed that there was no shortage of fertiliser for the ongoing Kharif crop cultivation in Odisha.
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Of late, scenes of farmers lining up in serpentine queues at the primary agriculture cooperative societies to buy fertilizer have become a daily ritual. Desperate farmers are left dejected to return empty handed after being told that there were no stocks leading to the protests, said a leader of Opposition BJD.
The farmers are deeply upset over the fertilizer shortage and mismanagement at distribution Centres, BJD in a memorandum addressed to the Governor stated while pointing out that former chief minister and leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik gauging the gravity of the situation had urged the union fertilizer and chemical minister to address to the shortage.
Stating that both the State and Centre are yet to take necessary steps to resolve the issue, the memorandum charged that the agro-based economy of Odisha is at stake due to governmental indifference.
Maintaining that the Kharif crop cultivation has taken a severe beating due to fertilizer shortage, BJD alleged black marketers have taken advantage of the situation as the subsidizer fertilizer have made their way to private traders due to patronage of unscrupulous officials.
As farmers are hitting the streets all over Odisha to protest fertilizer shortage, the failure of government machinery stands thoroughly exposed, BJD said.
Seeking gubernatorial intervention, the Opposition BJD said adequate fertilizer needs to be supplied to meet farmers’ requirement without further delay.
The regional party further demanded stern legal action against those who are diverting the subsidized fertilizers to black marketers.
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