With an aim to promote the use of alternative fertilizers, Fertiliser Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has said that the government is planning to liberalise the Market Development Assistance (MDA) policy. He added ‘The expansion of this policy will fully complement the government’s ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’. The MDA policy was earlier limited to city compost only.
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. Mandaviya said ‘There were demands to expand this policy by incorporating organic waste like Biogas, Green Manure, organic compost of rural areas, solid/liquid slurry, etc.’
He 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. He noted that 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.