(a) whether the Government has received reports regarding irregularities in the
distribution of fertilizers in the recent past;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government has received any reports of smuggling of fertilizers from
India to neighbouring countries during the last one year;
(d) if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the details of the steps being taken by the Government to check such irregularities
and make fertilizers available to the farmers?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS & FERTILIZERS (SHRI SRIKANT KUMAR JENA)
(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the table of the House.
Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (d) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question No.
417 to be answered on 17.12.2009.
(a) to (b): No, Madam. No such reports of any irregularities in distribution of fertilizers have
been received from the State Governments.
(c) to (d) : There are reports of smuggling of fertilizers from India to neighboring countries.
However, these have not been confirmed by the State Governments. The State
Governments have been advised by the Department of Fertilizers to keep a vigil and to
check smuggling of fertilizers from India to other neighboring countries through land and sea
routes.
Similarly Union Home Ministry has also alerted Border guarding forces viz., Border
Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Assam Rifles and Sashastra Seema Bal
and Coast Guard to maintain strict vigilance on the borders to curb smuggling of fertilizers.
Further Union Home Secretary has also addressed the Chief Secretaries of Arunachal
Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagland, Punjab,
Rajasthan, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal to sensitize the authorities
concerned to curb the smuggling of fertilizers into the neighboring countries.
(e): The State Governments, as the enforcement agencies, are adequately empowered
under Fertilizer Control Order, 1985 to take appropriate action against any offender who
indulges in any kind of malpractices including black marketing.
Further, the following steps are being taken to make fertilizers available to the farmers:
i) The gap between requirement and indigenous production of fertilizers is
met through imports;
ii) Department of Fertilizers operates Buffer Stock of Urea, DAP & MOP
through State Institutional Agencies/ fertilizer companies in major fertilizer
consuming States to the tune of 6.25 LMT, 3.50 LMT and 1.00 LMT
respectively;
iii) The movement of fertilizers is being monitored throughout the country by an
on-line web based monitoring system (www.urvarak.co.in) also called as
Fertiliser Monitoring System (FMS).