Centre, Maya row over fertilisers

A war of letters has erupted between the Congress-led Centre and the Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh over the distribution of fertilisers to farmers in the backward Bundelkhand region of the state.

A war of letters has erupted between the Congress-led Centre and the Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh over the distribution of fertilisers to farmers in the backward Bundelkhand region of the state.

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It started with union minister of state for rural development Pradeep Jain ‘Aditya’ on October 13 writing a letter to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati, in which he alleged the marginalised farmers of districts falling in the Bundelkhand region were facing major problems due to the non-availability of fertislisers.

“The fact is that cooperative societies have not been able to adequately supply fertilisers. This has forced the farmers to buy urea and DAP from the market at higher rates,” Jain said.

He claimed that the Centre had supplied fertilisers more than demanded by the state government, particularly for the Bundelkhand region.

To prove his point, Jain attached with his letter a note of availability report of fertilisers in Jhansi and Lalitpur districts of Bundelkhand till September 30.

“It is imperative that all facts should be checked and verified before writing such a letter to the chief minister of a state,” Siddique said.

He said the central government had sent 27 per cent less fertilisers than that demanded by the state government.

Siddiqui also attached details of the dispatch of fertilisers by the Centre to the UP government till September 2010.

He also charged Jain with leaking the letter to the media before it reached the CM. “I hope in future all facts will be checked before writing a letter on the important issues ....”