State must act against fertiliser hoarders: Sharad Pawar

Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on Sunday indicated that chief minister Ashok Chavan should crack the whip on those hoarding fertilisers to create an artificial shortage. Pawar said, “Centre has allocated an adequate stock of fertiliser to the state. I have done my job. It is for the state to act now against those hoarding it.”

On his part, Chavan clarified that the government had initiated the process of acquiring fertilisers from the Centre in advance by communicating with various ministries and fertiliser companies.

Farmers are currently paying almost twice the normal price for fertilisers, which are in short supply in the market and at government-run establishments. Across the state, they have been complaining of a shortage for the last ten days. Instances of farmers standing in queues overnight to get stocks from government shops have been reported from parts of Vidarbha and Marathwada. There have also been incidents of the police lathi-charging farmers.

The government admitted that the good monsoon has been a boon for agriculture. The area under sowing has also increased considerably, leading to a rise in demand for fertilisers.

However, the opposition felt that the government needed to do more than just reassure farmers. Senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde said at Kolhapur recently, “I wish Pawar took some time off cricket to focus on farmers’ problems.”