CM urges Centre to supply adequate urea

In the wake of inadequate allotment and supply of urea, complex and MOP fertiliser leading to extreme hardship to the farmers in the state during the present kharif season, chief minister B S Yeddyurappa has urged Union minister of agriculture Sharad Pawar and Union chemicals and fertiliser minister M K Azhagiri to ensure adequate supply of required fertiliser to state’s farmers.

Karnataka requires 170,000 tonnes of urea as a top-dressing fertiliser in July. But, the Central government has allocated only 93,500 tonnes only and the quantity supplied up to July 12 is only 48,048 tonnes. This shortage has resulted in panic among farmers besides creating law and order problems in some districts.

Further, the Centre has allocated only 45,000 tonnes of complex ferti-liser and 17,500 tonnes of MOP aga-inst the requirement of 124,000 ton-nes of complex fertiliser and 54,000 tonnes of MOP respectively for July, 2009.

Against this background, the chief minister has written to the Union agriculture and fertiliser ministers to monitor the situation and ensure adequate supply of required fertili-ser to the state, to avoid worsening of the situation.

Meanwhile, Haveri district is facing an acute shortage of fertiliser for the second consecutive year. It may be recalled here that the district had faced a huge shortage last year and the state government had resorted to lathi charge to quell the protesting farmers which led to the death of a farmer.