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Farmers spend fertiliser money on liquor, Govt. to provide bags again
View(s):Money provided by the state to farmers to buy fertiliser had been spent on household expenses and liquor, prompting the Government to revert to the previous system of providing farmers with fertiliser instead of cash, an official said.
National Fertiliser Secretariat Director G.A. Pushpakumara said the decision was taken by the President and was approved by the cabinet. At the cabinet meeting, some ministers pointed out that after the Government decided to provide cash for farmers to buy fertiliser, there were reports that many of the farmers had spent the money on liquor or used it for household expenses, though they complained that the money was not sufficient.
Earlier farmer associations had strongly criticised the Government’s move to change the system to provide cash instead of fertiliser. The withdrawal of the previous system of providing fertiliser was believed to be one of the reasons for the setback at the recent local elections for the ruling parties.
The Agriculture Ministry has now decided to make available a 50 Kg bag of fertiliser at Rs 500 to farmers whose paddy lands are less than five acres. The Government will also provide fertiliser at Rs 1,500 to farmers in other sectors such as tea and vegetables.