Bhubaneswar: Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja on Friday reviewed the fertilizer availability across Odisha in a high-level meeting held at Lok Seva Bhawan, where he directed strict action against black marketing and smuggling of fertilizers.
The meeting was attended by Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Principal Secretary Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh, DGP Y.B. Khurania, Cooperation Secretary Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, Agriculture Director Shubham Saxena, and officials of Markfed. District Collectors from across the state joined virtually.
Presenting the status, Dr. Padhee informed that fertilizer supply in Odisha has improved considerably. Against the projected requirement of 10 lakh metric tonnes for the current agricultural season, 11.98 lakh metric tonnes had already been supplied to the state by September 17. Currently, 8,921 MT of urea is in transit; while a further 30,900 MT has been planned for delivery by the end of September.
He added that district administrations are ensuring distribution to the grassroots level and that raids are being carried out to curb black marketing. Confiscated fertilizer will be redistributed to farmers as per their needs.
Responding to farmers’ growing demand for urea, the Agriculture Secretary emphasized the importance of balanced fertilizer use in the ratio of 4:2:1 (N:P:K) to maintain soil fertility. He urged Collectors to spread awareness on the judicious use of all fertilizers, not just urea.
After the review, Chief Secretary Ahuja directed the enforcement of a zero-tolerance policy against illegal fertilizer trade and asked collectors to reallocate supplies between surplus and deficit regions. He further instructed officials to verify media reports of fertilizer shortages and address grievances promptly.
