Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Sadananda Gowda, held a review meeting with CMDs of fertilisers PSUs to take stock of performance of their PSUs as well as their preparedness for future. The meeting was attended by Shri Chhabilendra Roul, Secretary (Fertilisers) and Shri Virendra Nath Datt, CMD (National Fertilizers Limited), Shri S C Mudgerikar, CMD (Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Limited), Shri Kishor Rungta, CMD (The Fertilisers And Chemicals Travancore Limited), Shri U Saravanan, CMD (Madras Fertilizers Limited), Shri A K Ghosh, CMD (Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited) and Shri Amar Singh Rathore, CMD (FCI Aravali Gypsum and Minerals India Limited).In his opening remarks, Shri Gowda congratulated fertiliser PSUs for their strong contribution in making fertilisers available to farmers by keeping their manufacturing units in operation, and ensuring distribution of urea and other fertilizers across the country, despite facing various hurdles during the lockdown period. Because of efforts of domestic companies and proactiveness of officers of Department of Fertilisers, there was no shortage of urea in the country, even when demand for urea shot up due to better than expected rainfall and substantial increase in area under farming Kharif season.
He asked CMDs of Fertilizer PSUs to gear up for upcoming Rabi season, and ensure that farmers get fertilisers in adequate quantity in time. He directed CMDs to chalk out a common strategy to encourage cashless transaction for sale of fertilisers to reduce diversion and leakages of subsidies in line with the overall vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi .While interacting with CMDs, Shri Gowda stressed on the need for PSUs to become self-sustainable, and said that in future, PSUs should not depend upon budgetary support from Government of India. The need of the hour is to go for diversification of product basket, development of new products such as nano-fertilisers and customized fertilisers, technology upgradation and if necessary, through revamping of existing plants if they have to sustain in future, and compete with private sector and imported fertilisers. He added that fertiliser PSUs should also be sensitive towards environmental concerns as introduction of any environment related policies in future may disrupt their viability. Shri Roul, Secretary (Fertilisers) added that fertiliser PSUs should also continuously make efforts to strengthen their disaster management plan. During the meeting, CMDs gave brief about performance of their respective PSUs in current financial year, and highlighted investment made for technological upgradation and revamping of their plants to increase their sustainability. They also provided information about their future plans for expansion to strengthen their companies.