Farm secys to meet soon on fertiliser subsidy
MADURAI: Agriculture secretaries of the States wi ll meet soon to discuss modalities for providing fertiliser subsidies to farmers directly, said M K Azhagiri, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers, here on Monday.
“I have spoken to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to roll out this new initiative as announced by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee,” Azhagiri said.
He was talking to reporters on the sidelines of the function where he distributed welfare measures to 2,812 beneficiaries.
On his first 100 days, Azhagiri said he had been collecting petitions and were taking actions on them according to the rules.
He said that he will continue to collect petitions and take action based on their genuineness.
On private companies misusing potash which was being imported and were subsequently diverted to match making units, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers said that the industry was being monitored closely.
Two such processing units were sealed in Karaikal, he pointed out.
On the plight of match making units at Sivakasi, Azhagiri said that they have started receiving potash from other sources and their productivity had been reinstated.
The Union minister ruled out any possibility of subsidising potash for match industries.
There were provisions to subsidise fertilisers to the farmers, but not for the raw materials in match making units, he added.
Minister for Adi Dravida Welfare A Tamilarasi was also present at the occasion.