Amethi: Farmers face urea problem, complain of scarcity

Farmers in Amethi are facing a shortage of urea and have complained of shortage in supply and long queues outside supply centers.

People could be seen queued outside the urea distribution center in the town.

Speaking to ANI, one of the farmers Sandeep Singh said, "The crowd is for the fertiliser, and we are not able to get it. I came and have to return empty-handed for 2-3 days."

"There is no urea. Day before yesterday I came and stood in the queue but couldn't get it. Yesterday also we were told that there is no supply. Today it is my third day," he added.

Another person standing in the queue named Rajkar said, "I am standing here since morning. We are not able to purchase urea when we want. The government may say anything but it is not available here nor at a private shop nor at the Godowns."

Echoing similar views, Md Javed said, "I had come yesterday and have been standing today in the queue since over 2 hours. There is a lot of scarcity of the fertiliser."

While this would be for the first time in recent past that the issue of urea shortage has come out from Uttar Pradesh, however in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan the same had become a political issue.

On December 23, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel had alleged that the central government is trying to create an artificial scarcity of urea in Congress-ruled states, alleged.

"Central Government is trying to create an artificial scarcity of urea in Congress-ruled states. This is not in the spirit of cooperative federalism. Their attempt to inflict distress upon farmers for political gains will not succeed," Patel tweeted.

However, on December 24, the Central Government has asserted that there is no shortage of Urea in the state of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Proactive measures are being taken to ensure an adequate supply of urea to all states during Rabi season 2018-19, said the Central government on Monday, rejecting the reports of the shortage of key fertilizer in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.