Shortage of Urea In The Northeastern Region

Dibrugarh: Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited (BVFCL), the only gas based fertilizer company of the country’s northeastern region, has come in the news due to the leveling of allegations of huge financial irregularities and large-scale corruption in the marketing department.

The alleged gross anomalies at the behest of senior officials like HOD and Chief Manager of the Marketing Department in connivance with the administrative head of the company, as per All Assam Mottock Students’ Union (AAMSU), had created unprecedented artificial crisis of fertilizer, ignoring demands of the local agriculturists as well as the small tea growers.

AAMSU president Jintoo Baruah, in a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister’s Vigilance Cell through the Deputy Commissioner on June 27, alleged that both HOD, HK Singh and former Chief Manager of Marketing Department, Akshay Kumar Singh’s actions had pushed BVFCL to the brink of death. He urged upon the PM’s Vigilance Cell to take up the matter on top priority and work out steps for the welfare of the company.

Moreover, it has been mentioned in the memorandum that these two officials had, after the death of the proprietor (Kartik Sarma) of a Jorhat-based firm named ‘Agricultural Services’, illegally renewed the license of the firm before allotting huge quantities of urea worth more than 2,000 metric tonnes.

The Sentinel contacted AK Singh to know his response to the allegations. He refuted the accusations, and denied that there was any deliberate attempt made to create artificial scarcity. He said that the charges made against them were not new, and were from last year, before adding that an inquiry had already been done in this regard.

He admitted that the region was facing a scarcity, but attributed it to a sharp drop in the production of urea in the plant. As for the continued relationship with the Jorhat-based firm, Singh clarified that the allotment had gone on initially since they were not informed of the death of the proprietor.

The allotment was terminated the moment they came to know of the same, he further added. He also hinted at the possibility of someone from inside trying to besmirch the reputation and image of the two senior officials.

The northeastern region has, for long, faced a dearth of urea. But despite several political assurances, the Unit 4 of BVFCL is yet to see the light of the day, resulting in very limited production with only Unit 2 starting to function very recently. Moreover, it has been found by The Sentinel that many retail outlets owned by people from outside the region have opened here. These outlets also procure urea from the company, but only to sell it in different parts of India at a steep rate, thereby hampering the domestic availability.

Earlier, Indian Potash Limited used to bring urea from outside to cater to the local needs and demands. Breaking off from this practice has also led to scarcity of the same in the region.

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