Farmers across Telangana protest urea shortage, demand scrapping of app

As Yasangi season begins, farmers across Telangana protest urea shortage and the Congress government’s app-based distribution system. Technical glitches, delays and complex procedures have triggered demonstrations from Adilabad to Nalgonda, with farmers demanding restoration of direct fertiliser supply

Hyderabad: With the Yasangi season on, last year’s urea shortage is back to haunt the farming community in the State, with many farmers struggling to secure sufficient urea bags. With the Congress government‘s app-based distribution system further complicating the ongoing shortage, they are up in arms against the government.

Demanding that the State government scrap the app-based distribution system, farmers have been staging protests across several districts. Following the conclusion of the municipal elections, many farmers complained that the government was least bothered about addressing the urea shortage.

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A majority of farmers said the hardships they encountered last year were recurring this season as well. They also complained about the cumbersome process involved in booking urea online through the mobile app ‘Fertilizer Booking App’. Apart from this, frequent technical glitches in the system have left them fuming.

From erstwhile Adilabad to Palamuru and from Khammam to Medak, farmers have been staging demonstrations at several places over the past couple of weeks. Despite the protests, the Congress government continues to maintain that sufficient urea stocks are available in the State.

Reflecting the hardships faced by the farming community, a farmer from Sarvel village in Yadadri Bhongir district vented his ire at the Congress government on Friday for introducing what he described as an illogical and senseless measure.

“I am illiterate. I cannot use a smartphone to book a urea bag. How can the government introduce such senseless measures and compound farmers’ woes,” Damodar Reddy said at the Farmer Producer Organisation in the village.

Several farmers gathered at the centre to register their names and book urea bags online. However, due to technical glitches, they did not receive the One-Time Password (OTP) on their mobile phones. Irked by the technical snags and the government’s failure to supply sufficient urea, farmers expressed anger at the officials.

“It has been close to two months and still we have not received the urea. Our investments and hard work will go futile. We feel like crying and committing suicide,” Damodar Reddy said in a video circulating on social media.

Farmers also complained that soon after opening the app for bookings, a ‘no stock’ message was displayed on their mobile screens.

To secure even one bag of urea, farmers are facing severe difficulties. When stocks are available with dealers, farmers must first book urea by entering their passbook number, following which they receive an OTP that must be submitted at the dealer outlet. Accordingly, dealers allocate urea by entering the farmers’ Aadhaar number in the app. Farmers then receive another OTP linked to their Aadhaar and must collect the urea bags by submitting the second OTP at the dealer outlets.

Considering these hardships, farmers demanded that the government scrap the app-based booking system and ensure direct supply of urea to villages.

Similarly, at Nandipeta mandal headquarters in Nizamabad district, farmers staged a demonstration by squatting on the road on Friday and raised slogans against the Congress government over the shortage. They said the app-based urea booking system was complicated and was worsening their problems.

“Should we cultivate our lands or learn smartphone operations. Most of our time is going waste in running around FPOs, Rythu Vedikas and other places to book. Vexed with the complicated process, we are staging protests,” farmers said.

On Thursday, farmers staged protests at Angadipeta crossroads on Nagarjunasagar-Hyderabad road and in PA Pally and Gudipally mandals of Nalgonda district, demanding that the government scrap the app-based distribution system.