Ex-min Ahir concerned over short supply of fertilizers

Yavatmal: Former Union minister of state for home and fertilizers Hansraj Ahir has expressed concern over the short supply of urea and other fertilizers to farmers of Yavatmal. He has asked the administration to convene a meeting of transporters, krishi kendra proprietors and agriculture officers to resolve the issue.
“The district has over 9 lakh hectare land suitable for cultivation and farmers should therefore be given quality seeds and adequate supply of fertilizers at proper rate and proper time,” said Ahir.
Giving facts, Ahir said that last year the district got 35,000MT of fertilizers and this year, a mere 15000MT.
“Major players like IFCO, RCF and KRIFCO do not maintain proper records of their products and stocks. Similar is the case with transporters and distributors. There is rampant corruption and red tapism in dealings,” alleged Ahir.
During the first term of the Modi government, supply of fertilizers was streamlined on the basis of a predetermined time frame. “Fertilizers were adequately supplied to the needy farmers of Yavatmal and other districts across the state,” said Ahir.
“Fertilizers for Yavatmal are supplied from Dhamangaon Rly and Wardha. However, there is manipulation in the supply and farmers are the worst hit. To remove this disparity, the Modi government had sanctioned a railway rake point at Pimpalkhuti near Wani. But it seems to be abandoned as the DGM Sanjay Rathod recently declared that Yavatmal would get supply from Nanded and Chandrapur. Both these rake points are situated outside the district and hence the prevailing manipulation would continue,” alleged Ahir.
He urged the district collector to float tenders for making the Pimpalkhuti rake point operative to wipe out the existing anomalies and short supply.
Ahir would soon make a representation to PM Narendra Modi and CM Uddhav Thackeray.