Farmers upset over shortage, black marketing of urea in Jammu; Sukhnandan seeks LG’s intervention

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: During ongoing Rabi season in Jammu, the shortage of Urea has made the farmers worried and angry about the acute shortage of urea and chemical fertilisers.
Seeking the intervention of LG Manoj Sinha, the former Minister and senior BJP leader Choudhary Sukhnandan Kumar said that its black marketing at double the rate during the ongoing Rabi season has more worsen the already fractured financial condition of the Jammu based farmers.
The farmers in Jammu face urea and fertilisers shortage due to less supply from the central government, said Sukhnandan, adding “many farmers in the Jammu’s kandi area as well as border area are struggling for urea.”
The shortage for urea, a fertiliser essential for rabi crops, mainly wheat and maize, is due to its unavailability at the officially designated fertiliser dealer shops across the J&K UT, the senior BJP leader said.
Hundreds of farmers today gathered at Marh block near the office of the former BJP minister Sukhnandan Kumar, who assured the villagers that he will take up the matter with the LG Manoj Sinha to intervene and resolve the issue.
Sukhnandan Kumar said urea and fertilisers are totally missing at dealer shops, the centre government must also arrange fertiliser and ensure its delivery to farmers in Jammu at an earliest.
“Urea dealers have been informing farmers that they don’t have a single bag of urea. But it is being sold on the black market. The government promises to help farmers to increase their income are just on paper,” Sukhnandan also said, adding, ‘Our rabi crops will be affected due to a lack of urea,” He further said that the shortage of urea and fertiliser will reduce wheat crop output by 20-30 per cent in Jammu.
Mayor JMC; Non-Gazetted Police Pensioners Welfare Forum call on LG
JAMMU: Rajinder Sharma, Mayor, JMC and Non-Gazetted Police Pensioners Welfare Forum called on Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at the Raj Bhavan on Saturday.
Rajinder Sharma discussed with the Lt Governor various matters pertaining to functioning of Jammu Municipal Corporation.
The delegation of Non-Gazetted Police Pensioners Welfare Forum led by its Chairman S. Ajit Singh submitted a memorandum of demands pertaining the grievance of the in-service police personnel and the retirees with regard to pay anomalies.
The Lt Governor assured the members of the delegation of redressal of their genuine demands on merit.