Farmer’s suicide attempt over urea shortage sparks outrage

A farmer from Mahabubabad attempted suicide after failing to secure urea, leaving him in critical condition. The incident triggered widespread protests across Telangana, with farmers blocking roads, storming warehouses, and staging dharnas, as opposition leaders blamed the Congress government for the crisis

Hyderabad: Suicide attempt by a farmer from Mahabubabad district distressed over urea shortage has sparked outrage.

The farmer, Narsayya, had watched his crops wither due to nutrient deficiencies, turning yellowish and vulnerable to pests, as supplies remained elusive, following which he attempted to end his life. Initial treatment at Kothagudem government hospital stabilised his condition to some extent before he was rushed to Narsampet Medical College for advanced care. He remains in critical condition.

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Former Narsampet MLA Peddi Sudarshan Reddy intervened by phoning hospital staff to ensure all medical facilities are provided to the ailing farmer. “Narsayya’s plight is a stark reminder of the government’s failure,” Reddy told reporters. “Local MLAs, ministers, and the administration have turned a blind eye to this crisis for weeks, leaving farmers in mental agony.”

The suicide bid has fuelled accusations of government’s incompetence. Opposition leaders from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) slammed the Congress-led administration, arguing that such “inept governance” is pushing farmers to the brink. “This incompetent government is solely responsible for the farmers’ dire straits,” BRS leaders in the district remarked.

Widespread protests grip districts

The crisis has triggered a wave of demonstrations across Telangana, with farmers blocking roads, storming warehouses, and queuing overnight at Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS).

In Nagarkurnool district, irate farmers staged a half-hour dharna near the old agricultural market on Saturday, causing heavy traffic jams on both sides of the road. The protest ended only after Circle Inspector Ashok Reddy intervened, assuring dialogue with officials, though tensions flared as farmers argued with him over the shortage.

Similar unrest was witnessed in Suryapet district. In Nuthankal mandal, farmers held a dharna demanding urea supplies, while in Chivvemla mandal’s Vattekham Palle Pahad village, exhausted growers formed massive queues after stocks ran dry. At Aravapalli’s PACS centre, hundreds lined up in a “heavy queue”, braving the heat for hours. Women farmers in Atmakur mandal camped outside PACS outlets for days, enduring rain and mosquitoes, with some even clashing violently over limited tokens.