Chhendipada/Digapahandi/Polsara: A severe shortage of urea fertilizer has sparked chaos among farmers in Chhendipada block of Angul district, forcing many to line up overnight outside cooperative societies in hopes of securing supplies.
The matter came to the fore after large crowds gathered outside the Bagadia Cooperative Society Monday. Farmers said they rushed to join the queue as early as 2am Sunday after hearing a shipment had arrived. With the crowd growing unmanageable, many resorted to leaving their Aadhaar cards in line to hold their place while they sat nearby.
Despite heavy rain lashing the area around 11am Monday, drenched farmers stood in the queue with many saying their Aadhaar cards were soaked. They alleged that the cooperative society was not distributing fertilizer properly and the supply reaching the block was far below demand.
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Meanwhile, unscrupulous traders were reportedly buying fertilizer at the government rate of Rs 270 per bag and selling at inflated prices of Rs 600 to Rs 700. Tensions rose when farmers accused the cooperative society of irregularities in distribution, leading them to lock its gates in protest.
On being informed, Bagadia police station Inspector-In-Charge Biplab Sahu rushed to the spot and tried to pacify the crowd but failed. Left with no option, he halted the sale of fertilizer. As a result, many farmers who had waited for more than 11 hours overnight in harsh weather returned home empty-handed.
Local farmer leaders including Purusottam Sahu, Jenamani Pradhan, Pradip Dash and Duryodhan Behera and hundreds of farmers have demanded immediate and adequate supply of fertilizer.
Road blockades in Ganjam
In Ganjam district, farmers staged road blockades Monday after alleging that fertilizer was diverted to traders instead of being distributed to cultivators through cooperative societies.
Farmers at Siddheswar village under Digapahandi block discovered that the cooperative society (PACS) secretary had allegedly sold fertilizer illegally to traders and associates late Sunday night instead of distributing to farmers.
Angered by the incident, farmers from Siddheswar, Digapahandi, and Sahaspur areas gathered at Ganianal Square around 9:30am and blocked State Highway 17 by burning tyres. The road blockade disrupted traffic on both sides of the highway.
On being informed, Digapahandi Tehsildar and Executive Magistrate Santosh Sahu, Siddheswar sarpanch Bijay Pradhan, Digapahandi IIC (in-charge) Raj Kishore Patra, and SI Sofi a Mishra reached the spot and assured farmers that sufficient fertilizer would be provided. Following the assurance, the blockade was lifted, and later, cooperative secretary Gopal Jena began distributing fertilizer to farmers in the presence of the tehsildar.
A similar protest erupted near Sahaspur Hatapada under Sanakhemundi block, where farmers blocked the Digapahandi-Aska main road. The blockade was withdrawn after Sanakhemundi Tehsildar Ramachandra Pattnaik and Patapur IIC Deeptiranjan Behera promised early supply.
Meanwhile, in Gochhabadi panchayat under Polsara block, farmers complained they waited for hours at the local high school for fertilizer but returned empty-handed. Shortages were also reported in other panchayats of Polsara block, leaving farmers anxious. They have urged the government to ensure immediate and adequate fertilizer supply.
Chaos in Koraput
Long queues of anxious farmers were witnessed in Narayanpatna block of Koraput district Monday as thousands rushed to the cooperative society (LAMPS) to receive fertiliser. The heavy crowd spilled onto the roads, bringing traffi c to a grinding halt for several hours.
According to reports, nearly 3,000 farmers gathered in front of the Narayanpatna LAMPS office as early as 5am to secure their share of urea bags.
However, only 2,500 sacks of the fertiliser were available, falling far short of the demand. Just last week, the cooperative had received 2,200 bags. However, as more than 5,000 farmers had applied, the shortage led to widespread dissatisfaction.
PNN
