Siddaramaiah urges Centre to supply 1.65 lakh tonne of urea to Karnataka
Bengaluru, Jul 25 (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday urged the union government to expedite the supply of 1.65 lakh tonne of urea to the state, citing concerns over growing distress among farmers due to fertiliser shortage.
In a letter addressed to Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers J P Nadda, Siddaramaiah pointed out that although the Centre had allocated 11.17 lakh tonne of urea for Karnataka for the ongoing Kharif season, the state has received only 5.16 lakh tonne so far, against a projected requirement of 6.8 lakh tonne by July.
"I request you to direct the concerned officers to expedite the supply of the shortfall of 1,65,541 metric tonnes of urea, as per the state’s allocation, in the interest of our farmers," the CM stated in the letter, which he also shared on his official 'X' handle.
Siddaramaiah noted that some fertiliser companies have expressed their inability to supply urea as per the Government of India’s allocation. He further highlighted that an early monsoon and increased acreage under cultivation—particularly in command areas of the Tungabhadra, Cauvery, and Krishna basins—have led to a surge in demand.
"The area under maize, a fertiliser-intensive crop, has increased by nearly two lakh hectares, while the area under pulses has declined compared to previous years," he said. Additionally, around 13,000 hectares of pre-Kharif land had to be resown.
The CM said that the urea shortage is creating unrest among the farming community.
Responding to Siddaramaiah’s post, the Department of Fertilisers stated on ‘X’ that it has already ensured timely and adequate availability of 8.73 lakh metric tonne of urea to Karnataka—well above the pro-rata requirement of 6.30 lakh metric tonne for the ongoing Kharif 2025 season.
Karnataka's farmers are facing a severe shortage of Urea.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) July 25, 2025
Against our requirement of 6.8 lakh MT from April to July, only 5.1 lakh MT has been supplied by the Union Govt. Early monsoons and expanded crop coverage have spiked demand, creating unrest among farmers.
I have urged… pic.twitter.com/7HqpOIfFM9
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Punishment for those disrupting assembly proceedings, warns Speaker UT Khader
Belagavi: Speaker U.T. Khader on Friday warned that members who disrupt Assembly proceedings by talking in their seats during debates will be made to sit in the House for an entire day as a disciplinary measure.
The warning came after the Question Hour, when Deputy Leader of the Opposition Arvind Bellad was permitted to initiate a discussion on the development of North Karnataka.
At this point, expelled BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal objected, stating that he had been seeking a debate for the past three days but had not been given an opportunity.
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Responding to the objection, Speaker Khader said Bellad had already been granted permission and assured Yatnal that he would be allowed to speak at the next opportunity. He noted that even as a serious discussion was underway, several MLAs were speaking among themselves with their microphones on, disrupting the proceedings.
Expressing displeasure over the conduct of members, Khader likened the situation to football, where players receive red, yellow, or white cards for violations. Similarly, he said, the Assembly issues warning cards to members who disturb the House. If they fail to correct themselves despite repeated warnings, they would be required to remain seated in the Assembly hall for a full day as punishment, he stated.
