HYDERABAD: BJP state president G Kishan Reddy on Tuesday reiterated that the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre stands firmly in support of farmers across the country and has been regularly disbursing PM-Kisan funds to farmers despite various challenges.
Commenting on media reports about fertiliser shortage in Telangana, Kishan said he discussed the matter with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who reassured that there was no actual shortage.
The Centre had already allocated a higher quota than requested by the state government, Kishan stated, accusing some traders of creating an artificial shortage due to the inefficiency of the state administration. Officials have confirmed that there is no fertiliser crisis, he stated, claiming that during the UPA regime, urea was often diverted to the black market.
“However, under the Modi government, strict measures have been taken to prevent such malpractice,” Kishan said.
He disclosed that Telangana’s estimated requirement for the 2024-25 Rabi season was 9.5 lakh metric tonnes, as per a joint meeting between the state and central governments.
He said the Centre supplied 10 lakh metric tonnes, exceeding the demand. Compared to the previous year, the Centre has increased the supply by 27.37%, Kishan pointed out, adding that on February 22, the Centre dispatched 40,000 metric tonnes, with another 48,000 metric tonnes set to arrive on February 23 and 24 as a precautionary measure.
“In the past three days alone, 16,000 metric tonnes had been supplied,” Kishan stated, urging the state administration to prevent farmers from standing in long queues and to address their concerns immediately.
The Union minister stated that the BJP has been focusing on direct outreach to voters, urging MPs, MLAs, and grassroots workers to engage in direct outreach to voters. He urged graduates and educators to vote for a party that would represent their concerns in legislative bodies.