Addressing the fertiliser ministrys consultative committee meeting, minister of state for chemicals and fertilisers Sis Ram Ola said the government was committed to selling fertilisers at a reasonable price to farmers.
Later, addressing a news conference, Ola disclosed that the government will import an additional 60,000 tonnes of di-ammonium phosphate apart from 3.9 lakh tonnes contracted so far to cover up for shortfall for the rabi season.
The nutrient is expected to be off-loaded by November-end. Special arrangements have been made at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Mumbai for unloading DAP which has been imported by Indian Potash Ltd and the joint venture Southern Petrochemicals Ltd.
He also assured the state governments that arrangements have been made for immediate despatch of DAP to various states which have approached them with a supply shortfall.
Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan had approached the government to immediately despatch DAP following the onset of the rabi season.
The farmers will not be allowed to go without DAP, he declared.
Ola said the government had already contracted for import of half of the 40,000 tonnes of shortfall in ammonia. Regarding the National Fertiliser Ltd scam, he said arbitration proceedings will be initiated against Karsan within 15 days. He said the government was committed to recover the full amount from the agents.
Earlier, addressing the consultative committee meeting, Ola disclosed that a rehabilitation package for PDIL was likely to be approved soon. He assured the members that the government will try to rehabilitate all the sick fertiliser units in the country.
The minister said the government was concerned about the decline in phosphates production.
It had also taken note of the poor performance by the companies which have shown a fall in profits for the first six months of the financial year compared with the same period last year, he said.
