Saying that farmers across Odisha are struggling to get fertilisers, despite Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi claiming there is no shortage, the Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Monday organised a protest outside Raj Bhavan in Bhubaneswar, leading to a clash with police. Hundreds of BJD workers tried to push past barricades in an attempt to march towards Raj Bhavan, triggering the faceoff with police. Accusing the BJP government in the state of failing to ensure supply of fertilisers to farmers, senior BJD leader Sanjay Das Burma demanded an immediate solution to the crisis. “As the government could not ensure supply of subsidised fertilisers through cooperative societies, farmers are forced to buy adulterated fertilisers from the open market at a high rate. The fertiliser shortage impacts around 70% of the farmers in Odisha, and it will also affect production during the kharif season,” he told reporters. BJD leaders said they would take protests to every district if the state government does not find an immediate solution to the fertiliser crisis. Odisha Cooperation Minister Pradeep Bal Samanta called BJD’s protest “drama” and said the government has been trying to ensure a smooth supply of fertilisers. As the kharif season is at its peak in Odisha, reports of farmers spending sleepless nights outside state-run cooperative societies to get subsidised urea have emerged from various districts across the state. Unable to get urea, farmers have also staged protests at different locations, amid reports of fertilisers being sold on the black market. On August 30, former chief minister and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik raised the issue with Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister J P Nadda and sought the central government’s intervention. However, the Odisha Chief Minister had recently reviewed the situation and claimed there was no shortage of fertilisers in the state and that distribution was going on smoothly. CM Majhi said the Centre has ensured supply to the state, and that the state had a stock of 11.66 lakh tonnes of fertiliser for the ongoing kharif season. He directed district collectors to ensure the smooth supply of the stock. There have also been reports of the government taking action against officials for indulging in the illegal sale of urea meant for farmers.
