Kishan Reddy claimed that Telangana had received more urea than other southern states and said it was the state government’s responsibility to ensure proper distribution to farmers.
Hyderabad: Union minister G. Kishan Reddy claimed that the Centre had supplied more fertiliser stocks than the state government had requested. Due to the inefficiency of officials, some traders have created an artificial shortage, even though records indicated that 1.22 lakh tonnes of urea remain in state godowns, he said.
On Sunday, agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao had stated there was a shortfall of 1.6 lakh metric tonnes supply from the Centre. Amid rising demand, Telangana had only received 6.81 lakh tonnes of urea from the Centre when it should have got 8.54 lakh tonnes, Rao had said.
Speaking to reporters, Kishan Reddy said he had contacted Union agriculture minister J.P. Nadda after seeing media reports on fertiliser shortage. According to Nadda, the Centre had supplied 10 lakh metric tonnes of urea, surpassing the state’s request for 9.5 lakh metric tonnes, Kishan Reddy said.
He said there was no real shortage and added that some state officials had also agreed with the same. He recalled that while black marketing of fertiliser was rampant during the UPA rule, the Modi government had taken strong measures to curb such practices.
Kishan Reddy claimed that Telangana had received more urea than other southern states and said it was the state government’s responsibility to ensure proper distribution to farmers.
