MP farmers getting lathis instead of fertilisers due to govt's failure, black-marketing: Cong leader

Bhopal, Sep 11 (PTI) Congress leader Umang Singhar on Thursday alleged that farmers waiting in queues to get fertilisers were facing police lathi-charge in parts of Madhya Pradesh despite the state having its surplus stock.

The Leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh assembly said the police resorted to lathi-charge on farmers at the Karahiya Mandi in Rewa on September 2, and at the Vrahatkar Sahakari Sanstha in Bhind on September 8, and accused the state government of mismanagement.

"The state government is playing into the hands of the black-marketeers," Singhar said in a press conference here.

He also accused the Mohan Yadav-led state government of failing to curb black-marketing of fertilisers despite having full powers under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, and the Fertiliser Control Order, 1985.

Citing the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers' reply in the Lok Sabha on July 25, 2025, and monthly bulletins, Singhar said the state had a surplus of 16.25 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of urea and 7.11 LMT of Diammonium Phosphate (DAP), a widely used fertiliser providing nitrogen and phosphorus for plant growth over the last three years.

He said the problem lies in failure in distribution and management, and not its shortage.

"Today, farmers are being beaten up with lathis. Tomorrow, the same farmers will settle scores through their votes. The issue is not shortage of fertilisers, but the failure of the state government's planning and management," Singhar said.

"Despite an annual budget of over Rs 1.50 lakh crore and the (Chemicals and Fertilizers) ministry's responsibility lying with BJP president J P Nadda, the fact that farmers did not get fertilisers is the government's biggest failure," he alleged.

Singhar said agriculture contributes more than 45 per cent to Madhya Pradesh's economy and that the state, despite being second in the country in fertiliser demand and consumption, failed to ensure supply to farmers.

The former state minister alleged that the state government did not carry out scientific estimation of demand for kharif and rabi seasons and failed to coordinate among the departments of Farmers Welfare and Agricultural Development, Cooperation, and the MP Agro Industries Development Corporation. PTI LAL NP