Telangana farmers stand in queues, shivering in cold for urea on New Year’s eve

Farmers across Telangana braved freezing nights and long queues for urea during the rabi season, exposing a widening gap between ground realities and government assurances, even as the Congress government maintained that adequate fertiliser stocks were available.

Hyderabad: As the world is gearing up to usher in the New Year with celebrations, farmers across Telangana rang stood in serpentine queues, through the biting cold night and freezing dawn, desperately waiting for a single bag of urea. From Warangal to Khammam, Mahabubabad to Nagarkurnool, the reality on the ground stood in stark contrast to the Congress government’s claims and assurances.

Wrapped in blankets, men and women farmers were seen camping overnight at Rythu Vedikas, PACS offices and farmer service centres in the early hours of Wednesday. In Uppalarapalli village of Warangal district, farmers stayed awake all night in the cold. In Khammam’s Konijerla mandal, queues began as early as 3 am. Women farmers and even children were forced to endure the ordeal. In several places, scuffles broke out over tokens. A near-stampede was reported in Mushtikuntla village when hundreds converged on a PACS office, forcing staff to shut shop and seek police help.

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The shortage has disrupted farm activity during the crucial Rabi season. Farmers complained of having to abandon fieldwork to hunt for urea, questioning the logic of app-based booking when fertiliser was unavailable at counters. In Jagitial, 450 bags arriving at a cooperative society resulted in just one bag per acre. In some villages, urea distribution took place under police protection.

Meanwhile, the Congress government insisted that there was no shortage. Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao said the State had 2.15 lakh tonnes of urea, which was equivalent to 47.68 lakh bags and urged farmers not to resort to panic buying. He warned of strict action against hoarders and black marketers.

However, BRS leaders argued that the numbers exposed the problem. During the BRS regime, buffer stocks ranged between 3.5 and 4 lakh tonnes. At current levels, they stated that the availability averages just 376 bags per village across 12,700 villages, which is clearly inadequate.

Former Minister and BRS Assembly deputy floor leader T Harish Rao said the Congress government was repeating its past mistakes.

“Farmers are being put to needless hardship. During the BRS rule, fertilisers were planned and procured well before sowing,” he said.

Stating that the new mobile app was introduced to cover up the government’s failure to ensure adequate stocks, he said the party would raise the issue forcefully in the Assembly.

According to official reports, the total area sown in the State is 8.2 lakh acres as against the season’s normal of 68.67 lakh acres. Compared to last year, this is about 90,000 acres less than the sowing area of over 9.1 lakh acres during the corresponding period.