Hyderabad: The BJP in Telangana has strongly condemned the false propaganda being spread by the Congress government and BRS leaders, which creates apprehensions among farmers about a urea shortage in the state. BJP national vice-president and Mahbubnagar MP D.K. Aruna stated that the fertilizer shortage is due to the negligence and ineffective governance of the Congress government. “Unfortunately, this situation is unique to Telangana. The failure of the state government has led to difficulties for farmers,” she said.

Aruna urged Telangana farmers not to be misled about fertilizer supplies, explaining that the Central Government has already provided more urea than what the state needs for the current Rabi season. “While the state requires 9.5 lakh metric tons of urea, the Centre has delivered 12.02 lakh metric tons.” She mentioned that all fertilizers, including DAP and NPK, have been supplied in excess of the state’s requirements. For instance, while the state needed 1.47 lakh tons of DAP, a total of 1.72 lakh tons was provided.

The Central Government regularly assesses the state’s needs and supplies accordingly. However, the state government has not effectively managed the distribution system. This is evident from the transport charges imposed on farmers, claiming that Markfed is facing bankruptcy. Additionally, allegations have emerged that some cooperative societies are hoarding fertilizers and diverting them to the black market. Aruna emphasized that the real issue arises from the failures of the state government, which is blaming the Center to cover up its shortcomings.

Aruna also highlighted that the Central Government provides a subsidy of Rs. 2,236 per urea bag and Rs. 2,422 per DAP bag. A farmer cultivating one acre receives a fertilizer subsidy of Rs. 9,316 per crop, totaling Rs. 18,632 if two crops are grown in a year. Furthermore, an additional support of Rs. 24,632 is available through the PM Kisan scheme.

“We firmly condemn the false allegations and misinformation propagated by the State Government regarding the support provided by the Center. There is no actual shortage of fertilizers; the problems faced by farmers stem from the state government’s failures in supply chain management, corruption, and inaction.”

The BJP MP further alleged that the Congress government is exploiting farmers by selling urea, which should be priced at Rs. 268, at a higher price, and DAP, which should be available at Rs. 1,311, at an additional cost. The state’s failure to hold local elections has resulted in a loss of funding from the Finance Commission, making the distribution of fertilizers supplied by the Center more complicated.

Dr. S. Prakash Reddy, the BJP Telangana State Secretary, voiced concern about media reports highlighting farmers in certain regions of Telangana waiting in line due to a fertilizer shortage. “This is worrying. It raises suspicions that the State Agriculture Minister knows when and which fertilizers to distribute.”

Union Minister Kishan Reddy himself took the initiative to discuss fertilizer supplies with the relevant Union Ministers. By the end of the Rabi season in March, an additional two lakh tons of urea will be made available.

Urea fertilizers supplied by the Center are distributed to the Central Fertilizer Corporations, then to Markfed, and subsequently to cooperative societies or distributors. Unfortunately, the Telangana Markfed company is now bankrupt.

The Congress government’s approach has led to chaos in the distribution of fertilizers, putting farmers in a difficult situation due to the failures of organizations like Markfed. While the Center provides a subsidy of Rs. 2,236, the state cannot even manage the transport costs of roughly Rs. 40-50, exemplifying the state’s economic challenges. Fertilizer usage is low during March and April, primarily for vegetables, indicating that the demand for urea in crops during this period is limited. However, the BJP is blaming the state government for troubling farmers through the black market and blackmail.

In reality, a black market dominates the state system. Writing letters to the Center represents a disingenuous propaganda effort akin to that of Goebbels. “We strongly condemn this. It is shameful for the Congress government to blame the Center to divert attention from their failures,” she added.