The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : State to get 20,000 tonnes of fertilizer

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Friday, Jun 13, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

State to get 20,000 tonnes of fertilizer

Special Correspondent

Centre is diverting it from T.N.’s share

Bangalore: The Union Government, following a representation made to it by Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, has agreed to an ad hoc diversion of around 20,000 tonnes of fertilizers earmarked for Tamil Nadu.

In view of the severe shortage of fertilizers for the kharif season in the State, the Centre has promised to divert 20,000 tonnes of fertilizers allotted to Tamil Nadu, as the sowing in that State is yet to commence. That State’s quota will be made good from the Karnataka’s share at a later date.

Briefing presspersons on the Cabinet decisions, Home Minister V.S. Acharya and Minister for Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Shobha Karandlaje said the Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Ram Vilas Paswan had promised to divert 20,000 tonnes of imported fertilizers from the Chennai port to Karnataka to ease the crisis in the State. Later, Karnataka would return the same quantity of the farm input to Tamil Nadu when sowing commences in that State.

A delegation, led by the Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister S.A. Ravindranath, called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Mr. Paswan on Wednesday and discussed the fertilizer problem in the State.

Mr. Ravindranath called upon farmers to desist from unnecessary hoarding of fertilizers and held out an assurance to them that fertilizers and seeds would be adequately available in the State over the next few weeks. “We have drawn up a schedule of supply to all the regions of the State in consultation with the major fertilizer companies. The deputy commissioners in the districts will ensure the timely availability of the fertilizers.”

Dr. Acharya said Mr. Paswan had promised to supply 1.20 lakh tonnes of diammonium phosphate (DAP) to the State by June 20. The Centre had promised supply of 1.10 lakh tonnes of complex fertilizers to the State by June 20.

In other words, the entire quota of fertilizers earmarked for June would be made available in the first three weeks. The State would get the July’s quota of fertilizer in the first fortnight of July. The Cabinet has formulated new guidelines for distribution of fertilizers to farmers. The deputy commissioners in each district would fix the date for distribution of fertilizers to farmers. Only farmers with a copy of their land documents would be eligible to purchase the fertilizers.

He said the Cabinet had also directed the constitution of State and district-level vigilance squads to check hoarding of fertilizers by traders and agencies. Any person providing information to deputy commissioners about illegal hoarding would be given a reward of Rs. 10,000.

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