MP govt blames Centre for urea crisis

Bhopal, Dec 27 (UNI) Holding the Centre responsible for Madhya Pradesh's urea crisis, the state government today alleged that the lack of a timely transport system resulted in the ''horrifying'' paucity.

''In August itself, the state informed the Centre of the estimated monthly requirement,'' Madhya Pradesh Agriculture Minister Chaudhry Chandrabhan Singh told reporters here.

Claiming that rabi sowing was completed over 83 lakh hectares despite the urea shortage, he added that the paucity would not affect the crop as the cold was not intense.

''The Centre's irresponsibility is making even Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra and other states struggle against urea crises. Lakhs of tonnes of urea remained at ports as the fertiliser was supplied along with wheat. The country's shortage is 28 lakh tonnes,'' the minister alleged.

Accusing the state's main opposition Congress of playing politics over the crisis, he added that ''as against a demand of 7.78 lakh tonnes the Centre supplied 5.53 lakh tonnes''.

''As many as 86,250 tonnes less were supplied in October while the corresponding figures for November and December were 68,361 and 52,000 tonnes. Despite that, the state government has put a system in place for ensuring fertiliser distribution,'' Mr Singh said.

A 55 per cent share of the central urea was for cooperatives while the rest would be sold to the private sector, he said.

In the context of urea looting by farmers, the minister said, ''Such incidents have taken place at only about half-a-dozen places.'' The Madhya Pradesh government exerted ''constant pressure'' by writing to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and Union Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister Ramvilas Paswan.

''Mr Paswan recently assured Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan that urea will be supplied as per the demand. By this month's end an additional 65,000 tonnes are likely to arrive while 2 lakh tonnes will be sent in during January's first fortnight,'' Mr Singh said.

UNI AG-AC SI HS1842