Bengaluru, Apr 10 (IANS): Hitting out at the Centre's decision to increase the prices of fertilisers by more than 60 per cent, senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Friday termed it as an "anti-farmer" act.
In a series of tweets, Siddaramaiah said that the Modi government's decision to increase fertiliser prices would destroy farmers.
"The real reason for reduction of quantum of subsidy from Rs 1,33,947 crore last year to Rs 79,530 crore from this year is the primary reason for the increase in the fertiliser prices," he tweeted.
The Leader of the Opposition in Karnataka said that the union government's justification that due to the rising international prices the fertiliser prices were increased is absolutely baseless.
He added that after troubling farmers through anti-farmer acts, the government is now making inputs costly, the 'anti-farmer' Narendra Modi government has increased the prices of fertilizers by more than 60 per cent.
"Prices of DAP (Diammonium phosphate) fertiliser has increased by Rs 1,400 per quintal from April 1 while it was earlier priced at Rs 2,400 and it costs Rs 3,800 now.
Prices of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potash have been increased by Rs 1,250 per quintal. It was available at Rs 2,350, but now farmers have to pay Rs 3,600. This increase will destroy farmers," Siddaramaiah said.