BHOPAL: Fertilizer shortage in parts of Madhya Pradesh has not only sparked protests by political parties and farmers outfits opposed to the ruling BJP, patience of farmer’s outfit affiliated to the RSS--Bhartiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) has also started waning lately.
Lately, protests under the banner of BKS have been reported in Bhind, Morena and Shivpuri (Gwalior-Chambal region), Narmadapuram and Raisen (central MP), Khandwa and Barwani (southwestern MP) and Jabalpur in Mahakoshal region of the state.
The BKS-associated farmers have protested over chaos in distribution of all three types of main chemical fertilizers – Urea, DAP and NPK in Bhind district of Gwalior-Chambal region, where the third-time BJP MLA Narendra Singh Kushwah had recently indulged in noisy and abusive spat with district collector Sanjeev Srivastava, allegedly over the issue.
“CM Dr Mohan Yadav has announced there is no shortage of fertilizers in the state. But in reality, there is shortage of fertilizers in various districts of the state. It's not the CM's duty to see to the distribution of fertilizers, it's the official machinery which does it.," Rahul Dhoot, the Prant Prachar Pramukh of BKS’s Madhya Bharat Prant told TNIE on Thursday.
He said that chaos and mismanagement in distribution of fertilizers is witnessed across the state.
"We’ve already been staging protests in parts of the state wherever there is chaos in distribution of fertilizers. On September 15, the BKS will resort to statewide agitation over the issue and hand over memorandum of demands to collectors in each district of the state,” he added.
“The shortage of fertilizers is created by the system, which is hand in glove with the black marketeers and private players, Dhoot further alleged.
While the BKS is gearing up for massive protests on the issue on September 15, the fourth-time BJP MP from Satna seat of Vindhya region Ganesh Singh has also expressed concern over the situation through an official statement.
“I’m pained by the long queues of farmers. There is complete lack of transparency in distribution of chemical fertilizers. Farmers are forced to buy from the private sector at a higher prices. The small farmers are the worst hit in the present situation. The district administration will get whatever cooperation it wants from me and the party (BJP) for promptly improving the system of fertilizer distribution,” Singh said in the official statement.
A powerful OBC Kurmi caste leader from Vindhya region, Singh hails from Satna district, where the local MLA and state minister Pratima Bagri had to reportedly change her route due to farmers fury over the fertilizer crisis.
In the adjoining Rewa district, the local police reportedly resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the agitated farmers waiting in line for hours to get fertilizers on Tuesday night.
Concerned over the situation, the chief minister Dr Mohan Yadav chaired a high-level meeting over the issue in Bhopal on Wednesday. At the meeting, the CM directed that the district administration in all districts should make necessary arrangements regarding the distribution of fertilizers in the districts. “If there is chaos regarding fertilizer distribution in the districts, then the District Collector will be held responsible for it,” the CM maintained.
“While ensuring proper distribution of the available fertilizers, representatives of the farmers' organization should also be roped in in the distribution process," the CM said.
He also directed for intensive review of fertilizer availability in the districts.
"The district administration should compulsorily conduct surprise verification and monitoring of double lock, PACS and private sales centres. If additional sales centres are required, their operation should be started immediately,” the CM directed.
While maintaining that there was no shortage of fertilizers for the Kharif 2025 season, the officials informed the meeting about the action taken so far against those indulging in black marketing, illegal storage-transportation of fertilizers as well as spurious fertilizers.
“53 FIRs were registered and action was taken for 88 license cancellation, 102 license suspension and 406 sales bans, " the officials informed the meeting.