Farmers complain of fertilizers being sold above MRP

Many dealers in Ramanathapuram district were selling fertilizers such as urea and DAP at more than the Maximum Retail Price (MRP), said farmers at the monthly grievance redress meeting at the Collectorate here on Friday.

Collector Simranjeet Singh Kahlon presided over the meeting. To the farmers’ charge, officials promised to take firm action against those dealers those who sold fertilizers at inflated prices.

A farmer, Paramanandam, said primary cooperative societies gave fertilizer bags only to those farmers who had taken loans. The societies should be told to give them to all the members irrespective of whether they had taken loans or not, he said.

Another farmer, Baskara Padmanabhan, said Forest Department officials were not taking pro-active measures to give adequate compensation to damage to crop caused by wild deer in Paramakudi block. An official replied that compensation was given only to the extent of damage and not for the entire extent of land. Other farmers also joined in and objected to the official’s explanation and said that the relief calculation should be amended suitably and compensation given to the entire extent of land when crop is damaged by wild animals.

Farmer Gavaskar raised the issue of shortage of fertilizer and also said crop loans were delayed by officials at Tiruvadanai block’s Anjukottai, Kulathur and other places.

Assistant Director of Quality Control Nagarajan said 10:26 fertilizer was very much available at the outlets and farmers could use them. The fertilizers would be made available in all the designated outlets as they were on the way from other stations. On the price front, he said that action would be taken against erring dealers.

On the delay in giving crop loans, another official said that crop loans totalling ₹58 crore had been given this year. Officials would be sensitised to expedite the loan giving process, he said.

Joseph, another farmer, said that water for irrigation had not reached RS Mangalam Tank from Vaigai dam, for which a PWD engineer said that the tank has started receiving 70 cusecs from Friday.

Published - November 22, 2024 08:23 pm IST