New Delhi, Nov 25 (IANS) The government Wednesday said in parliament that sufficient fertilisers were available this year and that the state governments had to ensure their steady supply.
During the kharif season this year, “sufficient quantities of fertilisers were made available by the department in various parts of the country,” said Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Srikant Jena while replying to a calling attention motion on the shortage of fertilizers and seeds and steps taken in this regard.

The calling attention was moved by Basudeb Acharia of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), Bhartruhari Mahatab of Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Shailendrakumar of the Samajwadi Party and Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Lalji Tandon.

“There were no significant complaints on supply front during khariff season 2009,” the minister said in a statement read out in the house.

Jena said the central government has supplied more fertilizer this year than what was given in 2008-09.

He also asked Uttar Pradesh to ensure the proper supply of fertilisers and action against smugglers and blackmarketers.

Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh have taken advance action to tie-up supplies of urea and other fertilisers through marketing agencies to avoid shortage during the rabi season, he added.

“Something has to be done in Uttar Pradesh” to ensure the proper supply of fertilisers, Jena said amidst protests by MPs from both Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party.

The minister also said there was no “perceptible shortage of seeds” in the country during kharif and rafi seasons.