Bhubaneswar: In light of the West Asia conflict affecting fertiliser production in India ahead of the vital agricultural season, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi convened a meeting on Friday to assess the situation. He instructed officials to guarantee that no farmer, whether small or marginal, faces a shortage of crop nutrients.

During a high-level meeting attended by district collectors via video conference, Majhi emphasized the importance of making fertilisers available to farmers according to their needs and at fair prices for the impending kharif crop operations.

He informed the collectors that Odisha currently holds 1.77 lakh tonnes of urea and over 60,000 tonnes of DAP in stock. He urged them not to rely solely on these figures but to ensure effective last-mile delivery. The chief minister issued six directives to address the situation, including taking stringent actions against black marketeers and hoarders. He instructed collectors to conduct regular inspections of wholesalers’ and retailers’ godowns and to file FIRs against illegal hoarders, as well as cancel their licenses.

Additionally, Majhi directed the police and the Agriculture department to collaborate in monitoring check-posts in border areas to prevent the smuggling of fertilisers to neighboring states. “Every suspicious vehicle should be checked in accordance with the Fertiliser Movement Control Order. There is a risk of subsidized urea intended for agriculture being diverted to industries such as resin, plywood, or cattle feed. District-level task forces must inspect and prevent such diversions,” he ordered.