· SUKHBIR BADAL WRITES TO PM
Chandigarh December 05:
Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal has requested Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to instruct Railway authorities to urgently provide additional railway rakes for moving Urea from Mundra and Kandla Ports, required for application of second dose of Urea to wheat crop.
In a letter to Prime Minister the Deputy Chief Minister has pointed out that requirement of Urea for the Rabi Season was 12.5 Lac Metric Tonnes out of which about 6.0 Lac Metric Tonnes has already been received in the State and most of it has been used as a basal dose at the time of sowing of wheat. He pointed out that Wheat, being a major rabi crop in Punjab, was sown in an area of approximately 3.5 million hectares and the sowing of wheat in about 32 lac hectares had already been completed during the month of November this year.
He said that due to untimely rains and non-availability of railway rakes, the movement of Urea to the State had been quite slow. He said that the first irrigation would be applied to the crop in the second fortnight of December. The Deputy Chief Minister said that the 2nd dose of Urea is applied alongwith first irrigation.
Expressing concern over impending shortage of Urea Mr. Badal said that any shortage at this stage would not only affect the tillering and vegetative growth of the wheat crop but might also lead to panic buying by the farmers, thereby further aggravating the situation.
The Deputy Chief Minister brought to the notice of Prime Minister as application of Urea was wheat was time bound therefore it was imperative that it was moved on top priority as a part of National effort to increase production of food grains. He said that for smooth movement of Urea, additional railway rakes were required daily at the ports of Mundra and Kandla. He said that he was fully aware that there must be a pressure on the Railways from competing commodities for movement.
Seeking the intervention of Prime Minister Mr. Badal said that appreciating our concern for productivity in Punjab and food security of the Country, Prime Minister would help us by instructing the concerned officials to provide additional railway rakes for moving Urea to Punjab, particularly during the next three weeks.