Ananth Kumar bats to make India self-reliant in urea

Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister Ananth Kumar today 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.

At present about eight units of state-owned FCIL and HCIL are closed.
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 emphasized 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.

Kumar has been elected for the sixth consecutive time as a Lok Sabha member from Bangalore South constituency. In the previous NDA government, he had held of Civil Aviation and Urban Development portfolios.