Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 22 2009:
Even as the State Government has fixed wholesale rate of Urea at Rs 257.85 per bag, dealers have sought attention of the Government as well as the public to fix the rate at Rs 280.27 per bag.
Talking to The Sangai Express this afternoon, fertilizer dealers expressed their difficulties in selling Urea at Rs 257.85 per bag in wholesale and Rs 260.85 in retail as fixed by the Government.
They disclosed that they have to pay several unauthorised taxes while transporting fertilizers till Imphal.
For transportation of 17.5 metric tonnes of Urea from factory to Imphal, the transportation charge given by the Government of India is Rs 36,645 .
But the exact amount given by dealers of Manipur to transporters is 41,000.This means that dealers have to pay Rs 4355 from their own pockets for transporting every 17.5 metric tonnes of Urea, they explained.
At the wholesale rate of Rs 257.45 per bag fixed by the Government, dealers stand to lose Rs 23 per bag.
As it would be impossible for the dealers to sell Urea at the wholesale rate of Rs 257.45, the dealers appealed to authority to revise the rate and fix at Rs 280.27 per bag so that agents can provide Urea to farmers at Rs 283.27 per bag.