Chouhan meets Paswan on urea scarcity issue

Bhopal, Dec 25 (UNI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today called upon Union Chemical and Fertiliser Minister Ram Vilas Paswan at his residence in the national capital and briefed him about the problem of urea scarcity in the State.

Mr Chouhan sought additional quantity of urea -- two lakh metric tonnes in the first two weeks of January next year -- from the Centre to meet the scarcity.

He urged the Centre to provide one lakh metric tonnes in the first week and another in the second week by January 15, an official release said here.

Mr Paswan assured that the Centre would provide required quantity of urea to the State.

The Chief Minister expressed gratitude to the Union Minister for his timely intervention in the urea scarcity.

Mr Chouhan pointed that the total urea demand between October and December was 7.78 lakh metric tonnes but the availability was only 5.52 lakh metric tonnes.

Hence, a shortage of 2.26 lakh metric tonnes had to be fulfilled.

He said the shortage of urea would have an adverse effect on Rabi crops especially wheat, the release said.

UNI PS HS RAI2303