Tension at PACS Wanaparthy as farmer attempts suicide over urea shortage

Tension prevailed at Wanaparthy PACS as a farmer attempted suicide over urea shortage. Protests spread across Mahabubnagar, Narayanpet and other mandals, with farmers and BRS leaders accusing the Congress government of negligence and diversion of urea stocks to the black market

Wanaparthy: Tension prevailed at the Primary Agriculture Cooperative Society (PACS) office in Ghanapur mandal on Monday when a farmer attempted suicide over the government’s failure to ensure urea supply.

The farmer, B Chinna Keshavulu, had reportedly been visiting the single window office for a week in search of urea. Though officials assured him that stocks would arrive in a couple of days, Keshavulu was disheartened on Monday after seeing long queues of farmers at the office. He then climbed the building and threatened to jump.

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Farmers and officials on the spot pleaded with him not to take the extreme step and promised to provide urea bags. Police rushed to the site and persuaded him to come down, after which officials heaved a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, protests over urea scarcity spread to Mahabubnagar, where farmers staged a dharna at the old bus stand demanding immediate supply. Former Ministers V Srinivas Goud, C Laxma Reddy, former MLA A Venkateswar Reddy and other BRS leaders joined the agitation and led a rally from the old bus stand to the new bus stand.

Squatting on the road, they raised slogans against the Congress government, alleging negligence in ensuring stocks. “Officials distributed tokens to farmers 10 to 15 days ago but are not providing urea, citing insufficient stocks,” Srinivas Goud said. Normally, farmers apply urea within 15 days of sowing, but even after a month many have not received it, he pointed out.

He alleged that urea bags were being diverted to the black market and accused the Congress government of negligence. “While MPs from Andhra Pradesh ensured urea for their State, our MPs failed to secure supplies for Telangana,” he charged.

Similar protests were reported in Utkoor mandal of Narayanpet, where farmers submitted a representation demanding adequate urea. They threatened to launch a strike if the shortage continued.

In Dhanwada mandal, serpentine queues of footwear were placed in front of the single window office by farmers waiting for fertiliser. At Maddur mandal PACS office, former MLA Patnam Narender Reddy staged a protest and raised slogans against the Congress government.