UMERKOTE: Angered over unavailability of fertilisers during peak kharif season, scores of farmers took to the streets and staged massive agitation in Jharigam block here on Friday, August 20, 2021. Unruly scenes were witnessed as more than 3,000 farmers from 26 panchayats blocked highways and gheraoed the office of Jharigam Large Area Multi-Purpose Society (LAMPS).
The situation went out of control when the agitators started ransacking the office. The mob was brought under control only after police and authorities concerned reached the spot. The farmers were then pacified after the agriculture staff distributed 1,600 packets of urea among them.
Farmers’ leader Khemraj Bagh said despite favourable weather conditions, scarcity of fertilisers has disrupted agricultural activities and false assurances of the government have made cultivators helpless. Farmers are thus losing faith in the system and resorting to lawlessness, he said and added that more protests are in the offing if their plight is not addressed immediately.
Sources said, the agitation on the day was fuelled by the unavailability of fertilisers on August 20 as promised by the administration. On August 13, farmers across Jharigam had staged road blockade and closed all government establishments in demand of urea.
The local administration had, in response, assured in writing that sufficient fertiliser would be supplied on August 20 but did not ensure the same thereby leading to the stir. On the other hand, managing director of Jharigam LAMPS Nrusingha Gouda filed an FIR against protestors including one Gajendra Pandey, for allegedly tearing up farmers’ Aadhaar cards and looting money from the government office.