Punjab govt confiscated 0.2 mn tonnes of urea: Farrukh Habib

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib has said the Punjab government had confiscated 200,000 tonnes of urea.

“The Punjab and federal government are providing subsidy on di-ammonium phosphate (DAP),” he said talking to media while flanked by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Usman Dar in Islamabad.

Farrukh Habib said the federal government had also asked the Sindh government to contribute its share in urea subsidy.

Read more: PM Imran directs action against fertiliser manufacturers creating artificial shortages

Meanwhile, chairing a meeting on fertiliser industry in Islamabad, Minister for Industries and Production Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar said the government was taking all possible measures to supply urea to farmers at affordable prices for wheat sowing.

He assured to carry out constant monitoring of urea supply from manufacturing units and movement of fertilisers at selling points across the country.

Khusro Bakhtyar lauded the fertiliser manufacturers for blacklisting the hoarders to smoothen the supply chain of urea in the country. He also said that an artificial crisis was being created in Sindh by hoarding urea.

The chief secretary Punjab apprised the meeting on action taken by the Punjab government against hoarders during the last two weeks.

Read more: ECC relaxes PPRA rules for urea import

On November 25, PM Imran Khan had directed to take action against fertiliser manufacturers, involved in creating artificial shortages to escalate prices.

Imran Khan had expressed serious concern over the disproportionate stock distribution of urea. He had also directed that fertiliser be provided to other areas as per requirement of farmers.