Government mulls direct transfer of fertiliser subsidy to farmers

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Press Trust of India, New Delhi, Feb 24: Government is considering direct transfer of fertiliser subsidy to farmers on the lines of LPG, chemicals and fertilisers minister Ananth Kumar told Parliament Tuesday while insisting that there is no shortage of farm nutrient in the country.
He said that any issues related to distribution of fertilisers are the responsibility of respective states. “The proposal for direct subsidy transfer to all farmers is under consideration of the government… We are considering it. It should be done shortly,” Kumar said while responding to questions in the Lok Sabha.
The government is already transferring subsidies through Direct Benefit Transfer scheme to LPG consumers.
With regard to concerns about shortfall in supply of fertilisers, the Union minister said, “There is no shortage of fertilisers in the country… In some states there are issues with the distribution system. If there is any problem, it is the responsibility of (respective) state governments.”
When some members from Uttar Pradesh raised concerns about shortage of fertilisers in their state, the minister said, “if there is any black marketing happening, then they should ask the UP government.”
The response elicited sharp protests from the Opposition, especially SP members.
Kumar said both during the rabi and kharif seasons, adequate amount of fertiliser was supplied.
This month, the demand for urea is estimated at around 13 lakh metric tone and the government has already sent about 23 lakh MT to the states, he said.
Insisting that there is no dearth of fertilisers, Kumar said, “we have sent advisories to state governments and they can carry out raids in case black marketing of fertilisers is happening.”
According to the minister, urea is sold at `5,360 per metric tone in India while in neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh, it is sold at about `22,000 per tonne. Mostly, urea from the country is smuggled to these countries, he added.