Punjab seeks Modi's help for adequate urea supply

The Punjab government has sought personal intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for stepping up urea supply, saying "acute" shortage of the nutrient in the state is affecting wheat crop sowing.
In a letter written to Modi, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal urged the Prime Minister for his personal intervention to step up supplies of urea to Punjab to make up the shortfall of 1.47 lakh tonne.
Chief Minister apprised him that the State Agriculture Department has time and again requested the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, to hasten the supplies of urea to Punjab.
"But unfortunately these (supplies) were still slow and tardy," he asserted.

He impressed upon Modi to advice the concerned officials of the Ministry to keep this shortfall in view while making allocation supplies of urea to Punjab for the month of December 2014.
Last month, Badal had written to Union Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister Ananth Kumar for ensuring timely supply of urea.

Expressing grave concern over this issue, the Chief Minister informed Modi that the farmers of Punjab were experiencing "acute" shortage of urea during the current rabi sowing season.
He said Punjab has received only 5,24,807 MTs of Urea up to November 30, 2014 as against its demand and allocation 6,72,650 MTs, leaving a shortfall of 1,47,843 MTs.

"Such a huge gap is not only adversely affecting sowing of Wheat but also creating unrest among the farmers," said Badal.
The Chief Minister reiterated his request by imploring Modi to issue necessary instructions to the Ministry without any further delay to bail out the Punjabi farmers from the impending crisis arising out of scarcity of Urea.
Interestingly, Punjab Agriculture minister Tota Singh had claimed on December 1 that there was no shortage of urea for sowing of rabi and other seasonal crops.