Rahul: Fertilisers sent for UP farmers are being sold in black

CSM Nagar, Uttar Pradesh : Against the backdrop of Chief Minister Mayawati sending letters to the Prime Minister for supply of fertilisers, Rahul Gandhi today alleged that the stock sent by the Centre was being sold in black instead of reaching farmers in the poll-bound state. “Fertilisers are sent for the state farmers and though it reaches the godowns it does not reach them and you know the reason why… you keep standing in queues for the whole night and it is sold in the black,” Gandhi told a programme of farmers in his Amethi Lok Sabha constituency. Gandhi said the Centre can send fertilisers but cannot deliver it to farmers just as it can pass the flagship job guarantee bill but not run the scheme. “It is like working with one hand tied.” His comments came in the wake of Mayawati writing a second letter to Manmohan Singh within three weeks complaining that the supply of fertilisers from the Centre was “insufficient” and accused the UPA of not cooperating with the BSP government on the issue. [caption id=“attachment_113070” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Rahul Gandhi in this file photo. PTI”]  [/caption] Mayawati has written about half a dozen letters to the Prime Minister recently over various issues, mostly pertaining to the weaker sections and farmers, apparently with an eye on the upcoming Assembly polls. Gandhi said, “It is not the shortcoming only in the case of fertilisers but also in other programme we send for UP and its people like MGNREGS, waiver of loans and mid-day meal” and cited a school teacher who told him that they had not received funds for mid-day meal for three months. PTI