The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Wednesday lashed out at the state government stating that deserving farmers haven’t got any urea fertilisers till date. It has demanded proper guidelines or plans for distribution of fertilizers at subsidised rate before it is too late.
The MPCC submitted a memorandum about raw urea in the state to the directorate of Agriculture on Wednesday.
Addressing the media, one of the state Congress youth leaders N Popilal Singh said that in recent past it has come to the notice that the much-needed fertilisers, especially urea, has not reached or delivered to most of the deserving farmers at the approved rates.
Such situation has compelled many farmers to purchase it from black market at sky-rocketed prices, Popilal said.
He said that the present situation is contrary to Agriculture Minister Thongam Biswajit Singh's statement at the launching of the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region in his office chamber on June 10.
Biswajit had also assured to book those involved in black marketing of the fertilizer in the said function, Popilal said.
Popilal further said that on June 22, 2022, truckloads of urea were seized by a team of Churachandpur Police at Tuning village in Sangaikot area. The source disclosed that it was purchased from a fertiliser dealer.
The incident raises many questions about how the fertilisers, meant for the farmers, were talen without the knowledge of any authority (seemingly) for transportation to Myanmar, the Congress youth leader said.
While condemning the distribution system of urea through MLAs, he questioned on what basis the urea are to be distributed through the local MLAS. There are no specific guidelines/rules that have to be followed for distribution of urea and as such, many of the farmers are apprehensive of favouritism and nepotism in this regard, he alleged.
He demanded the authorities concerned to chalk out a proper guideline or plan to provide the much-needed fertilisers urea to the farmers directly at the prescribed/approved price before it is too late. The committee also demanded publishing the receipt and issue (stock position) of the urea on daily basis through the media and to punish the culprits involved in smuggling the urea as per law.
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