THE MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS AND MINISTER OF STEEL (SHRI RAM VILAS PASWAN)
(a)to (g):
A statement is laid on the table of the House.-
Statement referred to in reply to part (a) to (g) of Lok Sabha Starred
Question No. 2 to be answered on 26.02.2007
(a): While the Demand, availability and sale of fertilizers in the country during
2006-07(, upto January`07) were as follows, sufficient availability of
fertilizers was ensured by the Department of Fertilizers in each of the
months in Kharif and Rabi at the state level:
01.04.2006 to 31.01.2007(in lakh MT)
Product Demand Availability Sales (assessed before the season)
Urea 223.12 222.94 208.71
DAP 73.46 77.79 62.09
MOP 28.44 22.76 20.06
(b) & (c) : Shortages at the local levels were reported in some states. Urea is
the only fertilizer whose movement and distribution is under the partial control
of the Government of India (GOI). GOI is responsible for supplying urea up to
the state level. It is the responsibility of the state governments to ensure
distribution of fertilizers as per local demand within the state.
(d) to (g): The Government has approved the New Pricing Scheme(NPS)
Stage III on 1.02.2007 to be implemented w.e.f. 1.10.2006. Under the NPS
III, the movement of urea will be monitored throughout the country by an on-
line web based monitoring system. The subsidy on urea will be paid only
when urea reaches the district. Further, the Department will operate a buffer
stock through the State Institutional Agencies/fertilizer companies in major
consuming states up to a limit of 5% of the seasonal requirement.
As far as decontrolled Phosphatic and Potassic fertilizers are
concerned, subsidy is released on sale of fertilizers. The responsibility of
meeting the full requirement of decontrolled fertilizers in any state is with the
concerned state governments. State governments have been advised to
identify at least one State Institutional Agency which would deal with the
required quantities of decontrolled fertilizers. Buffer stocking of decontrolled
fertilizers by the Government of India would be made only to meet any
emergent requirement.
To ensure availability of urea in the remotest corners of the country, the
freight reimbursement to urea units will now be on actual rail and road leads.
The total additional impact of this provision is estimated at Rs.99.98 crores
per annum.
