Urea shortage: HC notices to Punjab, Centre
Saturday, 07/02/2015
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CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday issued a notice to the Centre and the Punjab government among others on a petition seeking intervention of the court on the reported shortage of urea fertiliser in the state.
The petitioner, Satnam Singh, a resident of Mansa, has submitted that farmers were running from pillar to post due to shortage of supply of urea fertiliser as the government had failed to meet the demand.
The petitioner has said that the yield was bound to reduce due to non-application of the fertiliser at a proper time and farmers were forced to buy urea at inflated rates. They were forced to buy pesticides, insecticides and other micro-nutrients from the dealers, he said.
The petitioner has sought direction to the Centre and Punjab to take steps to make arrangements for supply in advance as after every two to three years there occurred shortage of fertiliser in the market due to non-availability or hoarding.
The applicant has also sought that the governments be asked to take action against the officials who had failed to discharge their duties for a smooth supply of the fertiliser.
Following the submissions, the bench of justice K Kannan issued a notice of motion on the petition and posted the matter for further hearing for March 13.
