Modi appeals Centre to release DAP fertiliser quota

Accusing the Centre of discrimination, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today appealed it to immediately release to the state the sanctioned quota of key farm nutrient - Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) fertiliser for the kharif season.

Showing willingness to pay in advance for the 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 lakh tonnes was lesser than the actual requirement of 5 lakh
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 one lakh ton of DAP fertiliser in three months against the approved demand of 4.80 lakhs tonnes," Modi said.