Strongly opposing the Central Government’s move to end freight subsidy on potash and phosphorus fertilisers, the Punjab Congress on Sunday maintained that it would adversely hit the farmers in high-fertiliser consuming States like Punjab and Haryana.
Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa, during his visit to Hoshiarpur and Tanda Dana Mandis, demanded that procurement by Government agencies should start immediately.
“The move is likely to increase the prices of these fertilisers like DAP by at least Rs300 to Rs400 per metric tonnes, thereby adding to the cost of production. The farm sector is already in crisis and the farmers are distressed,” he said.
“The requirement of Punjab and Haryana is about 14 T for DAP in Punjab and Haryana which is imported via Gujarat ports. The reduction in subsidy would thus make these fertilisers for the farmers costlier in the absence of corresponding increase in the minimum support price,” he said.
Bajwa, referring to a letter written by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to the Union Fertilisers Minister Ananth Kumar on March 26 in this regard, said that Badal had then pointed that suppliers would have to bear additional cost of Rs500 per tonne for supplying the same to Punjab and Haryana which in turn would be passed on to the farmers, and which might have implications for the central buffer stock.
“The anti-farmer face of the Modi Government has already become clear with the amendment to the land acquisition legislation which has been supported by the Shiromani Akali Dal. This action in reducing freight subsidy would further fuel anger among the farmers, particularly in Punjab and Haryana,” he said while urging the Modi Government to withdraw this proposal immediately.