Both the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Congress, on Sunday, launched targeted the BJP-led state government over the ongoing fertilizer crisis in several districts of Odisha.
Speaking to the media today, senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya challenged the government’s claims of having sufficient fertilizer stock, accusing them of misleading the public and farmers by such false claims.
He urged the state government to visit villages to see the ground reality for themselves, noting that farmers are standing in mile-long queues at Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS).
“I urge and appeal to the state government to inspect the real picture of fertiliser supply on ground. The ministers instead of making statements in Bhubaneswar should visit the villages and if they realise that the farmers are getting adequate fertiliser, then we will accept the claims of the government. There is a shortage of fertiliser everywhere. The farmers can be seen waiting in queue stretching a mile before the Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) in several districts of the state,” said Acharya as quoted by IANS.
Acharya also alleged that the shortage of fertilizers is forcing farmers to buy it from the open market at two to three times the regular price, suggesting the government has no control over the supply chain.
The senior BJD leader threatened that the regional party will hold a protest over the short supply of fertilizer in Odisha before the Raj Bhawan in Bhubaneswar on Monday, demanding the intervention of the Odisha governor to solve the crisis.
Meanwhile, Ramachandra Kadam, the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), also criticized the government over the fertilizer shortage and announced that the party will raise the issue during the upcoming state assembly session.
Responding to the allegations, state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling defended the government, stating that the BJP-led administration is the true supporter of Odisha’s farmers. He dismissed the opposition’s claims as “false accusations” and confirmed that Chief Minister Mohan Majhi’s government is prepared to debate the issue in the assembly.
“The farmers and the public have also understood the opposition’s attempt to propagate false accusations against the state government. Our government led by Chief Minister Mohan Majhi is ready to debate and answer any issue raised by the opposition in the assembly,” he added.
