Karnataka - Tumkur   

Fertilizer shortage now hits Tumkur district

TUMKUR: A bandh was observed in Tiptur town on Monday to express solidarity with farmers who have been protesting in several parts of the district against the unavailability of fertilizers.

The agitation, which began in Kunigal taluk on July 14, then spread to Gubbi, C.N. Halli, Tiptur and Turuvekere taluks.

In Tiptur, farmers gathered in front of a fertilizer shop on Monday and alleged that 150 bags of fertilizers purchased by them from the shop were “of very low quality”. It was found that the shop had sold a local brand of fertilizer reportedly manufactured by a Mandya-based factory.

The farmers said the fertilizer was largely made up of “coloured mud” and dissolved when it became wet. The farmers were incensed when officials tried to defend the shop owner. The farmers, however, returned the fertilizers that they had bought and got their money back.

Congress leaders K. Rajashekar, K. Rajanna, Shantappa, Ashok and Sangamesh and Janata Dal (Secular) leader B. Nanjamari joined the protesting farmers and called for the bandh. The protesters staged a dharna on the Tumkur-Honnavar National Highway and blocked traffic.

The leaders alleged that several private fertilizer shops were hoarding stocks and selling at higher prices.

Assistant Commissioner K. Jyothi raided 12 shops and attached godowns, but did not reveal details.

In Gubbi, over 500 farmers blocked traffic on the same highway at Dr. Gubbi Veeranna Circle from morning till late in the evening. Deputy Commissioner C. Somasekhara visited the farmers and promised them that fertilizers would arrive on Tuesday. He said that 20 tonnes would be allocated to Gubbi taluk and 80 tonnes to Tiptur taluk.

Farmers staged road blockades at Hebbur and Balagere in Tumkur taluk on the Kunigal-Kollegal State Highway for four hours.

Meanwhile, officials of the Department of Agriculture collected samples of the fertilizers that were sold in Tiptur and sent them to a Bangalore laboratory for chemical analysis.

Last year, a court had sentenced a shop owner for selling fertilizers mixed with mud.

Since then, farmers in the district are in the habit of testing the fertilizers by themselves for purity soon after they obtain them from the shops.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Fertilizer shortage now hits Tumkur district

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu