The principal Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Monday staged a demonstration in front of the Odisha Raj Bhavan over the acute fertiliser scarcity in the state.
Hundreds of BJD workers joined the rally outside Raj Bhavan. A minor scuffle broke out between the police and the protesting BJD workers when the latter tried to barge in. The police used mild force to disperse the crowd.
Later, a party delegation was allowed to meet governor Hari Babu Kambhampati and submitted a memorandum demanding an immediate resolution of the crisis.
Making a scathing attack on chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi-led government, former minister and senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya alleged that it was misleading farmers.
“The ministers are misleading the farmers on the issue of fertilisers. I appeal to the state government to visit the field to get a first-hand knowledge of the fertiliser supply on the ground. The ministers, instead of making bold statements in the state capital, should visit the villages to see whether the farmers are getting adequate fertilisers,” Acharya said.
Long queue for fertilizer at a cooperative society at Brahmanijharilo village in Cuttack district Subhashish Mohanty
BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra said: “The official price of a 45-kg fertiliser bag has been fixed at ₹242. However, we have reports that the fertiliser bags are being sold at an exorbitant price.”
He added that the administration has failed to take action against black marketing, failing to ensure that farmers get fertilisers at the right time.
Another senior leader, Sanjay Dasburma, said: “People are not getting fertilisers. They can be seen standing in a long queue stretching for a mile before the primary agricultural credit societies and large area multipurpose societies (LAMPs) in several districts of the state. They are not getting fertilisers there either. Each fertiliser bag is being sold at ₹800 on the black market.”
The party said BJD president and former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik had raised the issue with Union chemicals and fertilisers minister J.P. Nadda to ensure a smooth supply of urea to the state.
A visit to Brahmanjharilo village in Cuttack district, on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, revealed farmers queuing up at a co-operative society after a truckload of fertilisers arrived. Seeing the huge turnout, officials locked the main office door to prevent more farmers from entering the premises.
Ajay Mohanty, 58, said: “This has never happened before. We have already begun agricultural activities. The paddy is almost two months old. We should have put the manure a month ago. It is too late now. We won’t be able to get the required yield during the harvest.”
Kusum Pradhan, 45, who was in the queue, said: “I got a bag of fertiliser, but I needed two. I have to manage with this now.”
Meanwhile, the chief minister directed officials to take stern action against fraudulent dealers who are hoarding fertilisers.
BJP spokesperson Manoj Mohapatra said: “Those fraudulent retailers and dealers are a product of the 24-year misrule of the BJD. The BJP government is taking action and sending all the culprits behind bars.”