Urea crisis fear
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 27 2011:
Following a mechanical defect in Plant no.III of Brahmaputra Valley Fertiliser Corporation Limited (BVFC) at Namrup, transport of Urea to Manipur has been stopped, thereby creating acute shortage of the essential fertiliser in this Khariff season.
Plant no.III where a mechanical defect has rendered it out of production is said to be the largest production unit of BVFC.
For the month of June, the Ministry of Chemical & Fertilisers, Govt of India has given the permission of lifting 8250 metric tonne of Urea to the State Govt.Out of this, only 1545 metric tonne of Urea has been lifted till June 26 .
Taking serious note over shortage of Urea in Manipur after lifting of the fertiliser has been stopped on account of the mechanical defect developed in Plant no.III of BVFC, Chief Secretary of the State DS Poonia has written to Joint Secretary of (A & M), Department of Fertiliser, Ministry of Chemical & Fertiliser Satish Chandra.
According to an official source in the State Agriculture Department, following the intimation of the BVFC on the production failure in its Plant no.III, the Department took up with matter at the Government level for making an alternative arrangement.
Accordingly, the Chief Secretary has written to the Joint Secretary of (A & M), Department of Fertiliser, Ministry of Chemical & Fertiliser.
In his letter, the Chief Secretary has proposed that lifting of the remaining quota of Urea should be allowed from the Indian Farmers' Fertiliser Co-operation (IFFC) and Imported India Potash Limited (IPL), both located at Guwahati in consideration of the problem being faced by the farmers in Manipur from shortage of fertiliser.