3 min readHyderabadUpdated: Apr 23, 2026 06:21 PM ISTThe PIL in the Telangana High Court urged the court to order the government to stop ignoring the farmers and fix the urea distribution system. (File Photo)The Telangana High Court on Thursday directed the state government to respond to the issues of urea availability across the state and the hardships farmers face in accessing the urea supply app–concerns that five farmers from Nalgonda district raised in a PIL petition.A division bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G M Mohiuddin sought a comprehensive response with details of how the government has been addressing the issue of the unavailability of urea, especially in relation to the ongoing war in West Asia.“File a detailed counter more specially due to the larger concerns in view of the Gulf War and the concerns raised by the farmers,” the bench said.The PIL, filed by Chinthareddy Srinivasa Reddy and four others, urged the court to order the government to stop ignoring the farmers and fix the urea distribution system. They want the government to improve its glitchy urea supply app and ensure enough fertiliser is available both online and offline so that crops don’t fail and the country doesn’t run out of food.The petitioner, who is also a former president of Rythu Bandhu Samithi in Nalgonda district, said that despite repeated appeals, formal representations, and widespread protests and demands raised through social, print, and electronic media, the government failed to take any action.Pasam Ravinder Reddy, the counsel for the petitioners, said the urea app had become a barrier rather than a bridge and informed the court that not all farmers were able to get urea through the app.The state’s counsel contended that urea was highly subsidised, sold to farmers at Rs 266 per bag instead of the actual Rs 3,000 per bag, and hence its sale was being regulated by the government.Story continues below this adThe counsel submitted that only “genuine” farmers were now supplied with urea. She said a farmer can now book urea online from his phone or his relatives’ or friends’ phone and collect urea from dedicated centres within 24 hours without standing in queues. Stating that the app is in use since December 2025, the counsel added that the state has supplied more urea during the period compared to the past.The bench pointed out that the concern was that all farmers were not tech savvy or had a smartphone. The state’s counsel responded by stating that volunteers are available at all centres to help the farmers. She said she will respond to all concerns raised in the PIL in a detailed counter-affidavit.The bench then directed the counsel to file all details, including whether enough publicity has been created about the new mechanism for urea supply, the concerns of farmers, and the state response, including the standard operating procedure in place.Rahul V Pisharody is Assistant Editor with the Indian Express Online and has been reporting for IE on various news developments from Telangana since 2019. He is currently reporting on legal matters from the Telangana High Court. Rahul started his career as a journalist in 2011 with The New Indian Express and worked in different roles at the Hyderabad bureau for over 8 years. As Deputy Metro Editor, he was in charge of the Hyderabad bureau of the newspaper and coordinated with the team of city reporters, district correspondents, other centres and internet desk for over three years. A native of Palakkad in Kerala, Rahul has a Master's degree in Communication (Print and New Media) from the University of Hyderabad and a Bachelor's degree in Business Management from PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore. ... Read More © IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:Telangana High Court