Fund for Urea subsidy proposed
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 18 2011:
The State Agriculture Department is all set to apprise the finance Department authorities to sanction Rs 2 crore so that Urea to the farmers can be provided at subsidised rate.
Speaking to The Sangai Express, Agriculture Minister Ph Parijat said even though factory price of a Urea bag is less than Rs 200, the same quantity, without subsidy, are provided to the farmers in the State at the rate of Rs 450 to Rs 500 due to expenditures incurred in transportation, and levying of unauthorised taxes at various points from the factory upto Imphal.
Informing that a single truck load can carry only 9 metric tonnes, the Minister confided that to ensure Urea provision to the State farmers at the rate of Rs 400 per bag subsidy is inevitable.
Through adoption of similar measure sale of fertilizer to the farmers was fixed at Rs 400 last year, he said adding that the same amount proposed this year was released in the previous season.
Maintaining that the Agriculture Dept is keen to ensure availability of Urea at the same price as been last year, Parijat said after official intimation to the Finance Dept authority for the Rs 2 crore provision has been sent and if approved, price of a Urea bag would be finalised shortly.
Asserting that requisite quantity of urea would be provided to the farmers ahead of the kharif season, the Minister said lifting of urea from manufacturing units have already commenced to ensure adequate stock-piling of urea.