Bengaluru, July 28 (IANS) The Karnataka BJP has launched attack on the Congress led government in Karnataka over shortage of supply of urea fertilizer and creating crisis for farmers in the critical cultivation phase.

Speaking to the media at BJP’s state office, Jagannath Bhavan in Bengaluru, N. Ravikumar, Chief Whip of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, stated: “In the past, to prevent fertilizer shortage for farmers and to avoid financial difficulties for the state government in purchasing fertilizers, a buffer stock fund of Rs 1,000 crore was set aside. However, under the current Congress government, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has allocated only Rs 400 crore for maintaining buffer stock for fertilizers. How will farmers get adequate fertilizer with such a reduced amount.”

Ravikumar alleged that the Congress government has failed to provide timely supply of urea fertilizer to the farmers, prompting the BJP to call for statewide protests.

He pointed out that in North and South Karnataka, crops such as ragi, jowar, maize, and green gram require fertilizers. However, the state government is failing to ensure timely supply of urea. Green manure availability is low in north Karnataka, and farmers there rely heavily on urea. They are now facing severe hardship due to the shortage, he said.

Due to heavy rainfall across all districts, there is a surge in crop sowing activity. Farmers are saying that if fertilizers are applied now, yields will improve; otherwise, the crops may fail.

He accused the government of ignoring farmers’ grievances. Thousands of farmers are lining up at fertiliser distribution centres in each taluk and district, he stated, urging the government to immediately supply urea.

Ravikumar further said the Congress government failed to promote nano urea as an alternative to conventional urea. It should have created awareness among farmers to use nano urea in the absence of regular urea but it did not.

The government is also not providing subsidies for the machines required to spray nano urea. Distribution of bio-fertilisers, which absorb nitrogen from the air and transfer it to the soil, has also been reduced. No aid has been given to farmers to produce green manure either. The Siddaramaiah-led government has completely neglected farmers, he charged.

Cattle numbers are decreasing, and instead of supporting livestock farmers, the government appears to be helping cattle thieves. No support has been provided for dairy farming. Even the incentive for milk producers has been stopped, causing farmers to suffer even more, Ravikumar charged.

Farmers are not being given quality fertilizers. Private companies are supplying substandard seeds, leading to poor crop outcomes. Despite good rainfall this season, if quality seeds and fertilizers are not provided, the sowing season will be lost, resulting in crop failure. The government has completely ignored the farmers, Ravikumar asserted.

During the BJP governments led by B.S. Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai, farmers were provided a total of Rs 10,000 under the Kisan Samman scheme — Rs 6,000 from the Centre and Rs 4,000 from the state. The current Congress government has stopped the Rs 4,000 state aid, doing injustice to farmers, he alleged.

Regarding drought relief, he pointed out that the Centre had released Rs 3,454 crore, but not a single paisa has been spent for the benefit of farmers. The funds have been diverted for other purposes, he alleged, accusing the Congress government of betraying the farmers.

BJP Kisan Morcha state vice-president Rudresh, Bengaluru North district Kisan Morcha president G.J. Murthy, and Bengaluru Central district president Rudrappa were present at the press meet.

–IANS

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