Modi appeals Centre to release DAP fertiliser quota

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Accusing the Centre of discrimination, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi on Thursday appealed it to immediately release to the state the sanctioned quota of key farm nutrient — DAP fertiliser for the kharif season.

Showing willingness to pay in advance for the Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) fertiliser, Modi said, “Centre is doing injustice to Gujarat in the allocation of DAP fertiliser while other states are getting their requisite quota without any hindrance and in some cases more than requirement”.

“In view of the delayed monsoon, my government has decided to release 6,300 cusecs of water from Sardar Sarovar dam across Narmada river at Kevadiya from today and give it to the farmers for irrigation purpose,” Modi told PTI.

“They (farmers) need DAP fertiliser badly but Centre is not allocating the approved quota (4.80 lakh tonnes) to the state for reasons best known to it,” he said.

Appealing the Centre to rise above party politics as far as release of the fertiliser is concerned, Modi said the allocation of the fertiliser for kharif season at 4.80 lakhs tonnes was lesser than the actual requirement of 5 lakhs tonnes.

“Farmers of Gujarat immediately need DAP fertiliser. But the Central government is not bothered and wants to ruin farmers as it has released only 1 lakh ton of DAP fertiliser in three months against the approved demand of 4.80 lakhs tonnes,” Modi said.