Govt may liberalise policy to promote alternative fertilisers: Mandaviya

The government is planning to liberalise the Market Development Assistance (MDA) policy to promote the use of alternative fertilizers, Fertiliser Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday

The MDA policy was earlier limited to city compost only, he said.

At present, the government gives MDA of Rs 1,500 per tonne in the form of subsidy for scaling up production and consumption of city compost made out from city waste.

"There were demands to expand this policy by incorporating organic waste like Biogas, Green Manure, organic compost of rural areas, solid/liquid slurry, etc," an official statement quoted Mandaviya as saying in a review meeting with ministry officials here.

The government is planning to liberalise MDA Policy to promote the use of alternative fertilizers. The expansion of this policy will fully complement the government's 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan,' he added.

In the meeting, the minister was apprised that Matix Fertilisers Plant in Durgapur, West Bengal having capacity of 12.7 lakh tonne will commence soon.

Mandaviya said the commencement of Ramagundam plant in Telangana has added 12.7 lakh tonne of indigenous urea production and this will help realize the vision of the Prime Minister to make India self-reliant in urea production.

The project should not only improve the availability of fertilizer to farmers but also give a boost to the economy in the region including development of infrastructure like roads, railways, ancillary industry etc. besides ensuring food security to the nation, he added.

Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Shri Bhagwanth Khuba and Fertiliser Secretary R K Chaturvedi were among other senior ministry officials present in the meeting.