Committees set up to ensure availability of fertilisers in Punjab

The Punjab government has set up committees in all districts to ensure timely availability of fertilisers for kharif crops.

The Punjab government has set up committees in all districts to ensure timely availability of fertilisers for kharif crops.

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In a letter to all deputy commissioners on Monday, registrar, cooperative societies, while referring to the 21-day national lockdown imposed to check the spread of coronavirus, wrote that nearly 5 lakh tonnes of urea and 54,000 tonnes of diammonium phosphate (DAP) was required to be supplied through the network of cooperative societies, but only 25% of the required quantity was stored with them.

“The importance of prepositioning of fertilisers in the societies prior to the onset of season cannot be overemphasised,” he said, asking the DCs to ensure that the incoming rakes of fertilisers were handled for loading, unloading and onward transportation to the cooperative societies without comprising the norms of social distancing.

The district committees set up to monitor the timely positioning of fertilisers, has deputy registrar, cooperative societies, as chairperson and manager, Markfed, manager, IFFCO, agriculture officer and block development officers as members.

They have been asked to rope in labour under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).