Kurukshetra, Jul 17 (PTI) A group of farmers who alleged there was shortage of fertilizers, held an agriculture officer hostage and blocked the Hisar-Chandigarh National Highway in this district.
The farmers, alleging shortage of urea, dragged the officer from the rest house to the highway, forcing him to stand for some time in the middle of the road as a mark of protest in Pehowa town.
The incident began when hundreds of farmers gathered at the Pehowa rest house, demanding answers regarding urea availability.
Agriculture Officer Pradeep Kumar reached the site, but farmers alleged that he gave evasive responses.
They accused him of misleading them for several days, claiming the arrival of fertilizer rakes that never showed up, and directing them to depots like Jalbehra, where no stock was available.
Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Prince Waraich alleged that the officer was giving evasive responses.
As tensions escalated, the farmers forcibly brought the officer to the highway (NH-152) in front of the grain market gate, made him stand amid the traffic, and staged a sit-in protest by parking tractor-trolleys, disrupting traffic for hours.
Slogans were raised against the agriculture department, accusing it of failing to ensure fair and timely distribution of fertilizers.
Local police and administrative officials, including SHO Janpal Singh and Naib Tehsildar Sanjeev Kumar, arrived at the scene and engaged in talks with the protesters. The farmers insisted on a written assurance about fertilizer availability before ending the blockade.
After prolonged negotiations with the administration, the farmers agreed to lift the highway blockade. However, they warned that if the required supply of fertilisers is not ensured, they will resume the protest.
Deputy Superintendent of Police, Pehowa, Nirmal Singh said that the roadblock was lifted by the farmers and the agriculture officer was allowed to return to his office.
When contacted, Deputy Director Agriculture, Kurukshetra, Karam Chand denied any shortage of urea fertilizer and said that the supply of urea was being regularized by the officials of the department to ensure 5 to 10 bags to the small and marginal farmers.
Recently, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had alleged that the BJP government has failed to provide fertilisers to farmers on time and said there is shortage of DAP in many places.
Congress leader Hooda had said farmers have to face the shortage of fertilizers in every crop season “because the BJP government does not make any arrangements in time”.
Haryana Agriculture Minister Shyam Singh Rana had on Wednesday said that both the central and state governments are committed to farmers’ welfare and efforts are being made to ensure that they do not face any shortage of fertilisers.
Speaking in Yamunanagar, Rana had said that he regularly interacts with farmers and wherever there is a need for fertilisers, he immediately directs administrative officers to make the supply available.
At present, there is no shortage of fertilisers in the state, Rana had asserted. PTI COR SUN NB NB
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