Sathupalli (Khammam): Farmers in Kalluru town, part of the Sathupalli constituency, protested over a severe urea shortage, despite claims of surplus availability in Telangana. BJP leader Gumma Ramakrishna led the protest with local farmers and party members, ending with a memorandum submission to Sub-Collector Ajay Yadav.
At the protest, BJP Khammam Parliamentary Convenor Namburi Ramalingeswara Rao accused the state government of losing nearly nine lakh metric tonnes of urea meant for farmers. Rao questioned why Telangana, which hadn’t faced a shortage in a decade, was now experiencing one. He emphasized that the Centre provided more urea than requested by the state, asking about the missing surplus.
Rao shared data showing the Telangana government requested 10.40 lakh metric tonnes of urea for the 2024 Kharif season, but the Centre sent 12.89 lakh metric tonnes. Out of this, only 9.66 lakh metric tonnes were used, leaving a surplus of 3.23 lakh metric tonnes. For the 2024 Rabi season, the state asked for 3.17 lakh metric tonnes, while the Centre provided 5.04 lakh metric tonnes, with only 1.28 lakh metric tonnes used. An additional 2.01 lakh metric tonnes were supplied between January and March 2025, suggesting around nine lakh metric tonnes remain unutilized in the state.
Rao accused the state government of misleading the public by blaming the Centre instead of distributing the stock to farmers. He called for an independent investigation to find the missing urea and hold those responsible accountable.
The BJP warned of more protests across Telangana if no action is taken. They demanded Rs 25,000 per acre in compensation for farmers who faced crop losses due to the urea shortage.
Key BJP figures like Kumili Srinivas, Pullarao of Tummalapudi, Venkatarama Reddy, and Kisan Morcha President Anandi Narasimha Rao joined the protest.
