Accusing the BJP-led Central Government and the Congress-led Punjab Government of conspiring to end Cooperative Societies in the State to ruin farmers, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Sunday said that the State Government’s decision to reduce DAP fertilizer share to farmers through societies from 80 to 50 percent was a clear indication that the “Congress Government is implementing BJP’s hidden agenda”.
“It is shocking that instead of working to strengthen the cooperative structure in the State, the Congress Government is working to completely eliminate this sector. The cooperative societies are the backbone of the farming community. This sector provides subsidised fertilizers and other services to farmers who are already facing the brunt of high input cost of farming,” said former Minister and SAD’s kisan wing president Sikander Singh Maluka.
Maluka asked the Government to immediately withdraw its “draconian” notification to reduce the share of selling fertilizers through cooperative societies and restore the old status.
“If the Congress Government failed to take immediate action and restore the status quo, the SAD would launch an agitation to ensure justice to farmers,” he said.
Maluka said that instead of providing relief to farmers, both the Centre and State Governments were working against them. “Due to reduction in manufacturing of fertilizers from 5.5 lakh MT to 1.25 lakh MT, lesser supply is available in the market. The shortage of supply is directly related to the reduction in the Rs 8,000 per tonne subsidy which was being denied to manufacturers,” he added.
SAD leader said that the cost of inputs for farming had shot up, with the marginal farmers being most affected and not in a capacity to procure fertilizers from the market. “The decision of the State Government is nothing but implementation of BJP’s agenda to create an atmosphere to hand over the agriculture sector to corporate and other private players,” said Maluka while reminding the Government that more than 80 percent of farmers are directly associated with Cooperative societies.