Metro India News | Hyderabad 

The Congress-led Telangana government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are locked in a heated war of words over an acute urea shortage impacting farmers during the Kharif season (Vanakalam). Both sides have traded accusations, with the state blaming the Central Government for inadequate supply and the BJP alleging mismanagement and black marketing by the Congress administration.

Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao, addressing the media in Kothagudem on Sunday, criticized the Central Government for failing to deliver the promised 6.60 lakh metric tonnes of urea for April to July, with only 4.23 lakh metric tonnes supplied—a 36% deficit of 2.37 lakh metric tonnes.

This shortfall has caused significant distress among farmers, particularly in districts like Adilabad, Khammam, and Mahabubabad, where supply gaps have driven farmers to private dealers charging inflated prices. Rao urged Union Ministers from Telangana and BJP leaders to expedite the release of pending urea stocks within the next four to five days, emphasizing Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s repeated appeals to the Centre, including meetings with Union Minister J.P. Nadda.

In response, Telangana BJP President N. Ramchander Rao, on Sunday, challenged Minister Rao to a public debate, claiming the Centre supplied 12.2 lakh metric tonnes of urea, while the state requested only 9.5 lakh metric tonnes. He accused the Congress government of creating an artificial shortage and enabling black marketing through middlemen, especially with local body elections approaching. Rao further alleged deliberate mismanagement, urging farmers to hold the Congress accountable for the missing 2.5 lakh metric tonnes.

The Kharif season, covering 61.1 lakh acres, faces disruption due to the urea crisis. For 2024–25, Telangana’s projected urea need is 8.54 lakh metric tonnes, but only 3.07 lakh tonnes were received between April and June, leaving a deficit of nearly 2 lakh tonnes. Experts warn that continued delays could reduce yields by 10–15% across 53.51 lakh hectares, threatening agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods. While the state attributes the crisis to transport and distribution delays, Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy insists the Centre provided surplus urea during the Rabi season. As protests intensify, farmers remain caught in the crossfire of this political blame game, awaiting urgent resolution.