Scheme to reduce chemical fertiliser use remains a ‘non-starter’

NEW DELHI: The govt’s ambitious strategy aimed astatine reducing chemic fertiliser consumption, PM-PRANAM, has remained a ‘non-starter’ arsenic the Centre has not been capable to released a azygous Rupee arsenic inducement to immoderate authorities adjacent aft two-and-half years of its launch, arsenic per a study of a parliamentary committee.PM-PRANAM was approved successful June 2023 for promotion of balanced and sustainable fertiliser usage and reducing the subsidy outgo for chemic ungraded nutrients for 3 years from FY24 to FY26. The states were to beryllium compensated oregon granted fiscal resources equivalent to 50% of the fertiliser subsidy saved successful a peculiar fiscal twelvemonth by reducing depletion of urea, DAP, NPK and potas compared to erstwhile 3 years’ mean consumption.

“With the strategy successful its last twelvemonth (2025-26), the model for meaningful interaction is rapidly closing. The committee, therefore, powerfully urge that govt undertake an urgent reappraisal of PM-PRANAM strategy to simplify eligibility conditions, trim bureaucratic hurdles successful disbursement, and process and merchandise the incentives owed to eligible states/ UTs without further delay,” the lasting committee connected fertiliser said successful its study submitted successful Parliament past week.

The sheet has taken enactment of the fertiliser department’s submission that lone 9 states and UTs were recovered eligible during 2023-24 with a full simplification of chemic fertiliser depletion of 1.5 cardinal tonnes (MT), and successful 2024-25, lone 3 were eligible with a simplification of hardly 42,000 tonne. The section informed the sheet that the appraisal of simplification successful fertiliser depletion for the existent fiscal twelvemonth volition beryllium conducted aft March 31.The committee has recommended that beyond the existent strategy period, a revamped and much effectual successor strategy should beryllium designed, successful consultation with states, to “genuinely incentivise” a sustainable modulation towards organic, nano, and bio-fertilisers and distant from excess usage of chemic ungraded nutrients. It said the govt should allocate an capable fund to commensurate with the standard of the targeted transformation.The fertiliser subsidy outgo for FY26 is projected astatine Rs 2.1 lakh crore.