Former Minister Niranjan Reddy Demands Immediate Action on Urea Shortage and Jurala Repairs

Gadwal: Former Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy met with District Collector B.M. Santosh today and submitted a petition highlighting several urgent issues affecting farmers and irrigation projects in the district.

Speaking on the occasion, Niranjan Reddy strongly criticized the government’s handling of fertilizer supply. He pointed out that although 15,000 metric tonnes of urea were allocated to Jogulamba Gadwal district for this year’s Kharif season based on last year’s report, farmers have already purchased and utilized 14,500 metric tonnes. However, an additional 10,000 metric tonnes of urea are still urgently required. He alleged that urea meant for the district is being diverted elsewhere, leaving local farmers in distress. "Farmers are forced to abandon their daily agricultural work and stand in queues for urea. If the supply does not arrive immediately, they risk severe crop loss," he said.

On irrigation, Niranjan Reddy drew attention to the precarious condition of the Jurala Project gates, which have suffered technical failures due to broken iron plates and rubber seals. Although irrigation officials estimated around ₹4 crore for necessary repairs and submitted proposals two months ago, the state government has yet to respond. With the current Jurala inflows at 2 lakh cusecs and potential floods expected to rise beyond 5.6 lakh cusecs, he warned of serious flooding risks to downstream villages if the gates malfunction. He condemned the government for failing to prioritize this issue even in recent state-level irrigation review meetings.

He also criticized the state for not filling local reservoirs despite abundant river flows. He highlighted that the Sangala Reservoir with a capacity of 0.6 TMC remains unfilled, while only 0.5 TMC of water has been stored in the Tatikunta Reservoir, which has a capacity of 1.5 TMC. He demanded the immediate completion of packages 99 and 100 of the Nettempadu project to benefit farmers in the region.

Recalling the welfare measures under the previous BRS government, Niranjan Reddy said Telangana once surpassed Punjab in paddy cultivation under the leadership of KCR. Farmers thrived with initiatives such as Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima, 24-hour free power supply, fertilizer availability, and paddy procurement. He accused the present government of failing to support farmers, pushing them into uncertainty and hardship.

Niranjan Reddy warned that if the government does not address these issues — including ensuring adequate urea supply, immediate repair of Jurala gates, filling Sangala and Tatikunta reservoirs to full capacity, and completing the pending Nettempadu packages — the BRS party will launch large-scale protests in support of farmers.

Several local BRS leaders from Jogulamba Gadwal district accompanied the former minister during the submission of the petition.