Is the Centre Discriminating Against Telangana in Urea Supply?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Telangana faces significant urea supply challenges.
- Accusations of discrimination by the Central government.
- Support from Congress leaders for local farmers.
- Shortfall of nearly 3 lakh metric tonnes reported.
- Urgent calls for action to safeguard agricultural interests.
Hyderabad, Aug 19 (NationPress) - Telangana's Chief Minister, A. Revanth Reddy, has leveled serious accusations against the Central government, claiming it is discriminating against Telangana by not supplying urea according to the state’s actual requirements.
He has called on the Centre to expedite the distribution of urea to the farmers of Telangana based on their sanctioned allocations.
MPs from Telangana have previously engaged with Union Ministers to address the challenges stemming from the insufficient urea supply, despite the approved allocations.
In a recent update on the platform 'X', the Chief Minister highlighted that while 8.30 lakh metric tonnes of urea were allocated for the ongoing Kharif season, only 5.32 lakh metric tonnes have been provided so far—resulting in a shortfall of nearly 3 lakh metric tonnes and creating significant difficulties for farmers throughout the state.
Additionally, he noted that the state’s MPs have submitted a representation to Union Minister for Fertilisers and Chemicals, J. P. Nadda, regarding this issue.
Revanth Reddy emphasized that he personally addressed this matter with the Union Minister, and State Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao has made several appeals to the Centre on this topic.
He criticized the Centre for ongoing negligence, observing that despite continued efforts from Telangana MPs—including bringing the issue to Parliament and organizing protests on behalf of farmers—the supply still falls short of the approved quota.
The Chief Minister reasserted his demand for an immediate supply of urea in accordance with the sanctioned amounts to safeguard the interests of Telangana’s farmers.
In another post, he expressed gratitude to Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi for her support of Telangana farmers, as she joined the state’s Congress MPs in their protest outside Parliament.
He stated, “It is disheartening that the BJP-BRS alliance is conspiring against Telangana's farmers by limiting urea access to foment agrarian distress. Both parties seem to be colluding to engineer a urea shortage for political gain.”
He added, “While Union Ministers from Telangana are preoccupied with appeasing the Prime Minister, BRS MPs are absent in Parliament; it is Smt. Priyanka Gandhi who stands up alongside Congress MPs.”
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka also expressed appreciation for Priyanka Gandhi's support for Telangana farmers in Parliament, raising their concerns regarding urea supply.
During a meeting with Nadda on Monday, the Congress MPs requested the immediate allocation of 3.5 lakh tonnes of urea for Telangana.
MP Kiran Kumar Chamala stated that Nadda assured them that urea would be dispatched to Telangana within a week.