Chandigarh, Nov 5 (PTI) Senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Tuesday alleged that the BJP government in Haryana is deliberately creating a shortage of fertilisers to push the farmers into losses.
“This is the reason that despite being in power for 10 years, the BJP has never been able to provide the farmers with fertilisers on time. Ever since the BJP came to power, it has kept the farmers standing in queues for fertilisers,” the former chief minister claimed in a statement.
“In every crop season, farmers have to wait for hours and days in long queues at the fertiliser centres, yet they are not able to get it. The government has shown an irresponsible attitude towards the farmers for the last 10 years,” he added.
On Sunday, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini claimed there is no shortage of DAP fertiliser in the state, asserting that farmers should not engage in panic buying.
Saini’s remarks came days after Congress leaders alleged that farmers in some districts of Haryana were grappling with a DAP (diammonium phosphate) fertiliser shortage.
A state government spokesperson on Sunday said the Centre has allocated 1.10 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of DAP fertiliser for November.
Alleging that the distribution of fertilisers was carried out from inside police stations under BJP’s rule in Haryana, Hooda said, “Despite this, it is surprising that the government is continuously making false claims. It says there is no shortage of fertilisers and that it has an adequate stock. If the government has an adequate amount of fertilisers, why is it not made available to the farmers?” The Congress leader also claimed that the farmers need about 2.8 lakh tonnes of DAP every year in October-November, but this time they have got only 1.20 lakh tonnes till now.
“A shortage of traditional DAP is being created to increase the sale of Nano DAP,” he alleged.
“Due to this negligence of the government, the patience of the farmers is wearing thin, and they are forced to take to the streets to protest,” he added.
Stating that the BJP has no excuse to avoid its responsibility after being in power in Haryana for two consecutive terms, Hooda said, “The new BJP government should come out of its honeymoon period and focus on the problems of the farmers. It will have to answer for the election promises it made.” The former chief minister also said the BJP must explain why it could not give the farmers Rs 3,100 per quintal for paddy as promised during the elections.
“Why did the farmers have to sell their crops at a rate lower than MSP? Despite being in power for so many years, why couldn’t the BJP streamline the process of fertiliser distribution? “Why are the farmers made to crave for fertilisers every time in times of need? Who will compensate the farmers for the losses incurred due to the policies of the government,” Hooda asked. PTI SUN ARI
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.