Centre assures supply of 1.4 lakh MT of fertiliser to K'taka

Bangalore, June 12 (UNI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has assured supply of 1.4 lakh Metric Ton of fertilisers to Karnataka by this month end, Karnataka Minister Shobha Karandlaje said today.

Briefing newspersons after a Cabinet meeting here, she said the Prime Minister had given this assurance to a delegation led by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who met him in New Delhi last night.

Ms Karandlaje said the Cabinet expressed grief over the death of a farmer in police firing in Haveri District on Tuesday during an agitation over non-supply of fertilisers. The state government would bear the expenses of education of the two his children and provide a government job to the widow of the farmer.

She also said the state government would constitute a Task Force at both district and state level, to check illegal hoarding of fertilisers by greedy traders. All the fertiliser dealers have to maintain a daily account of stock available with them and report to agriculture department officials concerned and give a reward of Rs 10,000 to those who provide information about illegal hoarding of fertilisers.

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