KTR demands probe into urea shortage in Telangana
He lashed out at Congress government over the fertiliser shortage and asked it to explain to farmers why there is a statewide shortage of 1.94 lakh metric tonnes. "Why has the price of a sack of urea, which should be ₹266.50, now become ₹325? This should be explained not just to farmers but to all the people of the state," he said in a post on X.
"Who is running this black-market business from behind the scenes? Who is causing this artificial shortage, and who are the middlemen hoarding even fertilisers? An investigation must be conducted immediately," the BRS leader said.
KTR wanted to know why the government is unable to give the farmer even a sack of fertiliser, even after making Aadhaar cards mandatory.
The BRS leader alleged that the government failed to implement Rythu Bharosa or waive farm loans. Even if farmers take loans for farming, there is a shortage of fertilisers.
The urea shortage in the state has threatened farming activity during the Kharif season. The shortage has resulted in the price of urea rising to Rs 325 per 45-kg bag against the subsidised rate of Rs 266.50 to Rs 268.
Last week, Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao urged the Centre to act immediately to ensure a timely and sufficient supply of urea.
In a letter to Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers Jagat Prakash Nadda, he appealed for urgent steps to address the acute shortage of urea during the ongoing agricultural season.
The state minister mentioned that the Centre allocated five lakh tonnes of urea to Telangana for April, May and June but supplied only 3.06 lakh tonnes, leaving the state grappling with a shortfall of 1.94 lakh tonnes.
Rao also wrote a letter to Union Ministers from Telangana G Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar, urging them to request the Centre to ensure immediate supply of urea to overcome the shortage.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Time of India
J&K govt, biz seek 5% GST on handicraft items
Omar Abdullah NEW DELHI: Jammu & Kashmir govt has sought lower GST on handloom and handicraft products in a move aimed at making pashmina shawls and silk carpets more affordable for Indian buyers. Currently, handloom and handicrafts items that cost Rs 1,000 or more attract 12% tax, and the proposal is to lower the levy to 5% on all products. Responding to the demand, Union minister Piyush Goyal suggested the businesses should take up the issue with the finance ministry. "We will try to reduce it. We will try to find a way," he said at an industry event. The proposal for pashmina shawls has been with the GST Council for several months and even CM Omar Abdullah had raised it in Jaisalmer in Dec.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Amid import fears, govt to review protection for homegrown apples
SRINAGAR: Amid fears of rising imports, commerce and industry minister on Sunday said govt will review protection for homegrown apples, while underlining the need to strike a balance between the interests of growers and the needs of consumers. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The minister's comment at a meeting with trade and industry here came amid demands from the US to lower tariffs on apples and other farm goods as part of the early tranche of a bilateral trade deal. India has expressed its reluctance to lower import duty on agricultural products while controlling the entry of genetically modified maize and soybean. Goyal said govt has prescribed a minimum import price of Rs 50 a kg and there is also a 25% import duty, translating into a protection of around Rs 75 a kg and a selling price of at least Rs 125-150 a kg. With domestic prices linked to the cost of imported goods, Goyal argued that a sharp increase in protection will raise retail prices further, making them unattractive to consumers and hurting overall demand. "To give the taste of Kashmir apples to the country, price has to be affordable. We need to balance between the interests of producers and consumers. We will see if MIP and other protection can be increased," he said. With production not keeping pace with growing demand, India imports 4.5-5 lakh tonne of apple, with Turkiye being among the largest sources. The US is seeking to topple Turkiye by seeking preferential duty access. Goyal told local businessmen govt was making efforts to step up exports of Indian goods through free trade agreements. While asserting that the Modi govt kept the country's interests paramount, he also said trade liberalisation cannot be a one-way street and as part of trade deals, both countries needed to open markets. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He said the new rail link from Kashmir will help move goods faster to the rest of the country and assured businesses that development work will be pushed by the Centre. Noting that the Pahalgam terror attack was meant to hurt tourism and the economy in Kashmir, the minister said that business is returning to normal and tourist flow has also increased.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Debock MD had fought LS election in 2019: ED
1 2 Jaipur: Mukesh Kumar , chairman and managing director of Debock Industries Limited, contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur seat on a Shiv Sena ticket. During his campaign, he enlisted Rakhi Sawant as a star campaigner, but he only received 4,600 votes and secured seventh place. This was revealed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) which concluded its raids at the Jaipur-based company. Mukesh also introduced himself as Mukesh Manveer Singh in business circles of Rajasthan and other parts. ED officials said that there could be a possibility that Mukesh aimed to conceal his financial scams exceeding Rs 100 crore by entering politics. "Presently, we are only investigating Rs 100 crore scam, though we are aware of some of his previous cheating cases lodged at various police stations in Jaipur." TOI obtained a copy of the 2019 Tonk-Sawai Madhopur election results in which Kumar received 4,600 votes and lost his security deposit. During that time, Kumar invited Rakhi Sawant as a campaigner and organised a vehicle rally at Sawai Madhopur too. Regarding his name, the ED authorities said that it is not clear why he was changing his name from Mukesh Kumar to Mukesh Manveer Singh. "Many times, people use this trick to avoid their debts. He was introducing himself as Mukesh Manveer Singh in the business circles of Jaipur and other parts of Rajasthan," the officer said. Meanwhile, ED raids resulted in the seizure of Rs 78 lakh, four luxury vehicles, and property papers as proceeds of the Rs 100 crore scam. "A few other things are on our radar. A few properties at Chaksu and Tonk could also be the proceeds of crime. We will urge people not to invest in this group or its properties," the officer said.
