Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann met Union minister for chemicals and fertilisers JP Nadda in New Delhi to demand adequate supply of Diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertiliser “on priority” for the wheat crop in the state. He also appealed to farmers’ groups not to harass commuters by blocking highways in the state, saying “excess of everything is bad.”
Speaking to mediapersons after the meeting, Mann said, “Punjab needs 4.80 lakh tonnes of DAP but so far we have received 3.30 lakh tonnes. I had raised the issue with the minister earlier as well. We talked in a positive atmosphere. A total of 70% of DAP is imported by India. But this time there are problems in the Red Sea, and it has affected the supply of DAP. But I told the minister that we need DAP till Nov 15 and some other states would need it later.”
He added that Punjab contributes nearly 50% of wheat in the central pool. In 2022-23 it was 51%, 46% in 2023-24 and 46.8% in 2024-25. For sowing wheat, the farmers need DAP.
“Since we are a major contributor of wheat, I sought DAP supply for Punjab on a priority basis. I did not come here in a crisis but to avert one. The Union minister assured that Punjab will be given supply on priority,” he added.
On problems with the ongoing paddy procurement in the state, Mann said the lifting of stocks from the grain markets had picked up. “The lifting will cross 4 lakh metric tonnes today. There could be some problems in a particular district. I spoke to Union ministers Amit Shah and Pralhad Joshi on the issue today as well to seek prompt movement of the food grain from the previous seasons through the Food Corporation of India (FCI). A little bit of chaos has been created but we will take care of it,” he said.
The chief minister said that to reassure the rice shellers, the Punjab govt was ready to include in the agreements with them that the state is ready to take the stocks of rice in case the Centre doesn’t do it by June 30 next year. “I am willing to give a guarantee to do it in case the Centre does not give them compensation,” he said. Mann, meanwhile, did not appreciate the decision of the rice millers not to accept paddy stocks in the middle of the procurement season.
Replying to a question on the decision of SAD to stay away from the four assembly bypolls in the state, Mann said during the last 10 years of his political career, he witnessed the arrogance of SAD fade away. “They are the ones who claimed they would rule the state for 25 years. Today, they don’t have four people to name its candidates. There was no bar on their contesting polls. They call Sukhbir Badal their ‘general’ but he has brought the party to this juncture,” said Mann.