BSP holds Centre responsible for fertiliser shortage in UP

Lucknow, Nov 3 (UNI) The Mayawati led-Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) regime today held the Centre responsible for a fertiliser shortage in the state.

Holding Union Fertiliser Minister Ramvilas Paswan solely responsible for the plight of the farmers in Uttar Pradesh, the BSP demanded from the Samajwadi Party (SP) to withdraw its support from the UPA government over the issue.

In a statement here, UP BSP president and state Cooperative Minister Swami Prasad Maurya said the state had demanded 14 lakh metric tonnes of DAP during the Rabi season, but the Centre alloted only 10.50 lakh metric tonnes.

''The farmers in the state are facing severe shortage of fertilisers, but the SP and Congress are busy doing politics over the issue,'' he said.

Mr Maurya said due to good monsoon this year, the state had demanded additional quota of fertiliser, but the UPA government turned a Nelson's eye to it.

''If the SP wants the farmers' problem to end, it should compell the Centre to hike the fertiliser quota of the state or else it should withdraw support from it, he observed.

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