Sukhnandan demands appointment of Nodal officer for fertilizer allocation from Ministry of fertilizer

By statetimes_editor Last updated Oct 29, 2023

Jammu farmers likely to face shortage of fertilizer

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: Following the vacant position of Director Agriculture, who also holds the post of Nodal Officer for fertilizer distribution, there is likely to be acute shortage of DAP fertilizer which is urgently required in November by the Jammu based farmers for sowing Rabi crop–the season almost passing by. Raising this demand, the senior BJP leader and former Minister Choudhary Sukhnandan Kumar has demanded filing up of the post of Director Agriculture or handover the charge of Nodal officer fertiliser to some other officer so that the sowing Rabi crop season don’t go waste.
The charge of Nodal officer was earlier with the Registrar Cooperatives and I got this charge transferred to Director Agriculture in 2009-2010 as Registrar Cooperatives has no knowledge about the fertilizers usage and its timings, said Sukhnandan Kumar, adding, ” Now this year as the post of Director Agriculture has fallen vacant, there is no Nodal Officer for the fertilizer allocation from Ministry of fertilizer and companies at centre.
3,000 MT of DAP fertilizer was received this month while the requirement for Rabi Season is 7,000 MT on urgent basis in the month of November, said senior BJP leader Sukhnandan Kumar, adding the DAP is urgently required as there is need of early sowing of varieties of wheat crop this year due adequate availability of soil moisture conditions. Regular intervention of Fertilizer Controller is required with Fertilizer Ministry and Fertilizer companies and in absence of its Nodal officer who happens to be Director Agriculture, there is serious issues for the farmers, who are already facing other challenges.
Seeking the intervention of LG Manoj Sinha, the former Minister and senior BJP leader Choudhary Sukhnandan Kumar said the demand for charge of Nodal officer be assigned to some officer in absence of Director Agriculture so that the farmers don’t face any other challenges.
The farmers of Jammu province are already suffering because of climate conditions and untimely heavy rains and thunderstorms, said Ch Sukhnandan Kumar, adding, “Our Prime Minister has also always assured support to farmers throughout the country.
“The shortage of DAP a fertilizer essential for Rabi crops, mainly wheat and vegetables , is due to unavailability of Nodal officer, the senior BJP leader said after meeting with hundreds of farmers who gathered at Marh block near the office of BJP leader Ch Sukhnandan Kumar, who assured the villagers that he would take up the matter with the LG Manoj Sinha to intervene and resolve the issue at an earliest.