Chandigarh---   Shiromani Akali Dal President and Deputy Chief Minister Punjab Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal today took a serious note of failure of UPA government to develop, expand or revamp the existing fertilizers units in the country which resulted into fall in fertilizer production in the country and outgo of Rs 79, 743 Crore by the way of subsidy. He said that instead of taking some concrete steps to increase production the Congress led UPA opted for transferring this burden on poor peasantry by decontrolling the fertilizer sector.

          Quoting the figures stated by Comptroller and Audit General (CAG) in the draft note, Mr. Badal said that Congress led UPA failed to increase fertilizers production which resulted into imports to the extent of 475.29 lakh tones of fertilizers during last nine years and an outgo of Rs 79, 743 crore by way of subsidies. He said that this subsidy could be saved and used for the farmers of the country if Congress led UPA government had assured supply of natural gas on long term basis to fertilizer industry and revamped the pipeline connectivity besides ensuring the investment and modernization of fertilizer plants to increase the production. He said that due to lack of commitment from UPA government the investment proposed by the companies could not fructify and expected capacity addition and expansion did not materialize.

          Holding Congress responsible for transferring its misdeed’s burden on farmers, Mr. Badal said that as Congress led UPA failed to save outgo of subsidy it camouflaged its failures by transferring this burden on farmers. “UPA government decontrolled the fertilizer sector by nutrient-based formula which has doubled the price of DAP within six months of this decision and raised the price of Urea, and further cut fertilizers subsidy by 15 percent which adversely affected the dwindling economy of agriculture sector”, added Mr. Badal.

          Mr. Badal said that the agriculture sector the world over was highly subsidized but here in India the UPA government was hell bent upon squeezing even the last drop of blood of peasantry with series of anti-farmer measures. He questioned Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee head Mr. Partap Singh Bajwa that why he never dared to raise these issues of farmers’ interest in front of party high command instead of staging a false drama as he did couple days back. He said that Congress party was actually trying every tactics to hide its misdeeds but its real face was already exposed to all. Mr. Badal said that people of the nation were biting their hands for mistakenly giving another chance to this corrupt coterie to loot the nation and they were eagerly waiting for ensuing Lok Sabha elections to decimate Congress and its allies from the political map of India. He said that NDA was all set to win the confidence of the nation to ensure the speedy and overall development of all the sections of Indian society and economy.