Minister directs officers to keep adequate stock of seeds and fertiliser to supply farmers

Minister for Medical Education, Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, and Livelihood Sharan Prakash Patil has directed the agriculture department officials to stock fertilizers to supply them to the farmers on demand and take strict action against retailers if they sell fertilizer on the black market and include them in the blacklist.

He was chairing a meeting in Raichur on Friday to review the drinking water problem, monsoon sowing, availability of fodder, and stock of fertilizer in the district. 

Mr. Patil, who is also appointed as district in-charge for Raichur and Koppal districts to supervise the natural disaster management, said that the department concerned should take action to keep stock of required sowing seeds and fertilizer of the private retailers, with strict guidance for them to show the stock boards enabling farmers to easily find how much stock is available.

“Strict legal action has to be taken against retailers or anyone who is found selling seeds and fertilizers in the block market,” he insisted.

Dr. Patil asked the officers to ensure complete crop insurance. “You should create awareness among farmers about the necessity of having crop insurance,” he added.

The Minister stressed the need to provide drinking water to Raichur city and found that 202 villages, under 84 gram panchayats, had been estimated, during the summer, to possibly face a drinking water crisis. 

“The taskforce committee and nodal officers, who have been appointed, have to tackle the drinking water problem effectively by supplying it through tankers or other modes, including from the rented borewells,” he said and added that tanks, which are left unfilled, have to be filled to ensure water for drinking purposes for humans and animals.

Dr. Patil directed the Deputy Commissioner, Poovitha S., to take immediate action to release compensation to the people affected by house collapse incidents and damage to human and animal lives, as three humans and 67 animals had lost their lives due to rain-related incidents.