Telangana Congress ministers blame opposition for urea shortage as farmers face delays

Telangana farmers continue to face delays in urea supply, while Congress ministers blame opposition parties for creating an artificial shortage. Ministers cited central government failures and highlighted arrangements at PACS, urging farmers not to fall prey to political tactics.

Hyderabad: As farmers fume over the State government for its failure to provide urea this season, Congress Ministers are instead blaming the opposition and are coming up with different theories over urea shortage.

In an apparent bid to cover up their failures, the Congress Ministers are even charging that artificial urea shortage campaigns are being run by the opposition parties to derive political mileage.

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Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao held the Central government responsible for urea shortage. Due to the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Iran wars, import and transportation of urea got delayed. This apart, the Central government failed to import sufficient stocks from China, the Minister said.

“Many small and marginal farmers have already obtained urea. Those standing in the queues at PACS are not farmers and it is the opposition parties’ tactics to defame the Congress government,” Tummala Nageswara Rao said after a review meeting on Thursday.

If this was the Agriculture Minister’s charge, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar came up with a different point.

Admitting that there was long waiting time at a few PACS, the Minister said many elderly farmers unable to stand in the queues were putting their footwear and passbooks as tokens. But this was being blown out of proportion by the opposition parties, he said while speaking to media persons at Karimnagar.

“Both BRS and BJP parties are conducting false campaigns and creating artificial urea shortage in the State to create unrest among farmers,” Prabhakar said, adding that a few media organisations were also deliberately highlighting a few false issues.

Labour Minister G Vivek countered the opposition charges and said it was the BJP government at the Centre, which failed to ensure sufficient stocks.

“Due to poor vision and lack of planning to arrange stocks well in advance, the BJP government failed miserably. Of the seven tonnes to be supplied to Telangana only four tonnes is supplied,” he said while addressing media persons.

Similarly, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said despite insufficient stocks, elaborate arrangements were made at the PACS to supply required quantities to the farmers.

“The State government, especially the Agriculture Minister, is reviewing the situation once every two days. Farmers should not fall trap to the opposition parties’ tricks,” Srinivas Reddy said in Kusumanchi on Thursday.