BJP leaders, workers stage protest in Karnataka’s Hassan over shortage of fertilizers

The Hassan district unit of BJP’s farmers’ wing staged a protest in Hassan city on Wednesday, blaming the State government for the shortage of chemical fertilizers in Karnataka.

The protesters, led by BJP MLAs H.K. Suresh, Cement Manju and others, formed a human chain near the office of the Joint Director of Agriculture in the city and raised slogans against the State government.

Mr. Suresh, MLA for Belur, said that the State government failed to provide quality seeds and fertilizers for the farmers. “The government did not make proper preparations for the sowing season. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had no concern for the farming community. He had no scheme for the benefit of the community,” he said.

The BJP MLA alleged that fertilizers had been sold on the black market, and that the government had made the farmers purchase fertilizers from the same by paying double the price. The government should identify the agencies responsible for the shortage of fertilizers and those who sold seeds of substandard quality to the farmers and punish them, he demanded.

MLA for Sakleshpur Cement Manju said that during the BJP rule in the State, the government would spend money to keep a buffer stock of fertilizers. “However, the Congress government did not take any measure to fulfil the needs of the farmers. They had also stopped its contributions for the Prime Minister’s Kisan Samman scheme. Similarly, the Raitha Vidyanidhi, that benefited the children of the farming community had also been stopped,” he added.

BJP Raitha Morcha district president B.H. Narayana Gowda and other leaders took part in the protest.