Urea dealers threaten to suspend supply
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 03 2013: Asking the State Government to provide relevant subsidy to non-government fertilizer dealers within April 10, All Manipur Fertilizer Dealers' Welfare Association threatened that it would cease urea transportation/supply service in case its demand is not honoured within the specified deadline.

speaking to newspersons at Manipur Press Club today, Association president Y iboyaima Singh stated that since September last private dealers have ceased transportation of urea, DI Ammonium Phosphate (DAP), Single Super Phosphate (SSP) and Murate of Potash (MOP) from the Namrup (Assam) facility owing to the Government suspending subsidy entitlement.

Confiding that in the past the State Government used to provide subsidy of Rs 200 per bag of urea sold in the market at the rate of Rs 450 each, he alleged that favouritism by Ministers/MLAs eventually resulted in the denial of subsidy to the private dealers numbering about 35 .

further informing that till 2011 member dealers used to enjoy Rs 200-300 Government subsidy per bag, Iboyaima maintained that due to cessation of the subsidy amount Association members are not willing to transport fertilizers from Namrup as selling the same at the Government-fixed price of Rs 450 per bag would mean huge financial loss for the dealers.

With urea transportation mostly carried out in between March to September months, a dealer stands to lose about Rs 60,000 for each trip of 50-60 tonnes if there is no subsidy provision from the Government, explained the Association president while informing that DAP, SSP and MOP fertilizers are not controlled by the Government.

Further stating that Association members have been contributing their mite toward food-crop self sufficiency through constant supply of fertilizers, he reiterated that in case the subsidy entitlement is not extended to the private dealers it would be impossible to sustain the Association's contribution.

Iboyaima also predicted that there would be acute shortage of food crops in the State in case availability of fertilizers could not be ensured or stocked in advance.

Comment