Munde, Gadkari to agitate on June 29 for shortage of urea

Mumbai, Jun 20 (UNI) BJP general secretary Gopinath Munde and Maharashtra unit president Nitin Gadkari will lead a farmers agitation on June 29, outside the commissioner's office in Aurangabad, against the shortage of super phospate, urea and other fertilisers for the farmers in the state.

Addressing a press conference here today, BJP's general secretary said the state government has failed in providing the basic requirements for the farmers.

''The shortage of the fertilisers has made the farmers lose their livelihood and the state government is responsible for it as it failed to import the same from other states,'' Mr Munde said.

Mr Munde said the stocks of urea received and other fertilisers were only 25 per cent of the total requirement and the traders were selling the same at higher prices, which was further bringing down the farmer's income.

''In many places, the farmers have been lathi charged by police, for demanding urea,'' Mr Munde said.

Mr Munde further criticised the union government for failing to waive off the farmer's loans completely, saying that only 30-40 per cent of the total loans have been waived off.

''Union Minister for Agriculture Sharad Pawar had recently commented that total loans will not be waived off and only a part of it will be waived off. This shows the government's dual policy,'' Mr Munde said.

He also opposed the state government's policy to differentiate the farmers, with one hectare land as small, 1-2 hectares as medium and more than two hectares as big farmers.

''Farmers in Vidarbha own huge farm lands and even though they have been the most affected, they have received the least monetary benefits due to the government's differentiation policy,'' the BJP leader said.

UNI JN SR AE RN2019