Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister Ananth Kumar on Wednesday said the government will revive all sick urea manufacturing plants to make the country self-reliant on widely-used soil nutrient. Kumar also assured farmers that there will be no shortage of urea in the ensuing kharif season.
‘I want to assure farmers across the country that there will be no shortage of urea for kharif sowing and they will be provided urea at appropriate time. We will discuss this matter with the Agriculture Ministry and state governments,’ he said.
The new minister further said that his desire is to make the Fertiliser and Chemicals Ministry a engine of growth..
‘Our PM's vision is that India should be self-dependent on urea and the country become self-reliant whatever policy is required for that we will come up with that policy,’ Kumar said.
The ministry is preparing a blueprint for revival of closed urea units across the country. India's urea production stands at around 22 million tonnes while the annual domestic demand is about 30 million tonnes. The shortfall is met through imports.
Kumar emphasised that the government would make necessary reforms in the fertiliser sector. ‘We are also working on three petrochemicals hub in Assam, Tamil Nadu and Odisha similar to the pattern special economic zone (SEZ),’ he said.
Ananth Kumar also said he will talk to pharmaceutical companies and try to bring down prices of essential drugs by 25-40 per cent.
Taking charge of the ministry, which has Department of Pharmaceuticals under its ambit, Kumar said the government is already working to bring down the prices of essential drugs by 25-40 per cent.‘... as far as branded medicines of multinational pharmaceutical companies are concerned, we will talk to all of them and try to bring down prices of essential drugs for poor by 25-40 per cent,’ Kumar said. ‘Our main mission will be to ensure the availability of all necessary medicines at affordable prices, especially for poors across the country,’ Kumar said.
‘I want to assure farmers across the country that there will be no shortage of urea for kharif sowing and they will be provided urea at appropriate time. We will discuss this matter with the Agriculture Ministry and state governments,’ he said.
The new minister further said that his desire is to make the Fertiliser and Chemicals Ministry a engine of growth..
‘Our PM's vision is that India should be self-dependent on urea and the country become self-reliant whatever policy is required for that we will come up with that policy,’ Kumar said.
The ministry is preparing a blueprint for revival of closed urea units across the country. India's urea production stands at around 22 million tonnes while the annual domestic demand is about 30 million tonnes. The shortfall is met through imports.
Kumar emphasised that the government would make necessary reforms in the fertiliser sector. ‘We are also working on three petrochemicals hub in Assam, Tamil Nadu and Odisha similar to the pattern special economic zone (SEZ),’ he said.
Ananth Kumar also said he will talk to pharmaceutical companies and try to bring down prices of essential drugs by 25-40 per cent.
Taking charge of the ministry, which has Department of Pharmaceuticals under its ambit, Kumar said the government is already working to bring down the prices of essential drugs by 25-40 per cent.‘... as far as branded medicines of multinational pharmaceutical companies are concerned, we will talk to all of them and try to bring down prices of essential drugs for poor by 25-40 per cent,’ Kumar said. ‘Our main mission will be to ensure the availability of all necessary medicines at affordable prices, especially for poors across the country,’ Kumar said.