Congress farmers' wing seeks white paper on fertiliser

The Kissan Khet Mazdoor Congress (KKMC), the farmers’ wing of the OPCC, has demanded a White Paper on State Government’s action plan to provide fertiliser to farmers.

Chairman of the KKMC Amiya Kumar Patnaik has demanded that the State Government should also set up a special cell in Agriculture Department to hear the grievances of farmers relating to fertiliser. He said the Centre had provided 3.8 lakh tonne fertiliser to the State by August 15 keeping in view the requirement of farmers for the kharif. Besides, the Centre had also provided one lakh tonne fertiliser to the State before the kharif.

Patnaik said the neglect of the farm sector by the State Government and its failure to control fertiliser dealers have put the farmers in a very difficult situation. Besides, the State Government has also not taken any step to address the problems in transportation of fertiliser, he said and added there has also been delay in distribution and sale of different types of fertilisers.

When the per hectare consumption of fertiliser in other states stands between 100 and 250 kg, in Odisha it is still 56 kg, he said. Neglect of the irrigation sector by the State Government has led to this sorry state of affairs, he claimed.

The State Government had demanded 9.66 lakh tonne fertiliser from the Centre for this kharif by increasing the per hectare consumption to 80 kg. But because of the faulty policy of the State Government, the farmers have not benefited, he said.

Patnaik criticised Agriculture Minister Debi Prasad Mishra for blaming the Centre for the shortage of fertiliser saying he put the blame without going into the matter properly. He alleged that the State Government is now trying to divert attention by raiding godowns and announcing that fertiliser sale centres will be opened in every panchayat.