Shivraj Chouhan bats for new laws to tackle duplicate fertilizers issue

Calling for a unified and collaborative approach to develop agriculture, Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said a national team should be formed under the principle of “One Nation, One Agriculture” and “One Agriculture, One Team”.

Addressing the 11th Maize Summit, organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), he said, “I wanted to request FICCI to discuss intensively and send me recommendations. We want to create a team for farming. We need to work in different directions, including the state government, central government, scientists, farmers, agricultural universities, and industry.”

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“I believe in ‘One Nation, One Agriculture,’ and ‘One Agriculture, One Team.’ With everyone’s effort, a single team should be formed that works in one direction. Then we can develop rapidly. That’s why, when FICCI’s recommendations arrive, I will take them seriously. But there should be a win-win situation. Farmers should also benefit,” the minister said.

Earlier on Sunday, Chouhan had said that the government was preparing a new, stricter law to address the problem of duplicate fertilisers and seeds.

The current law imposes only a small fine of around Rs 500, allowing offenders to escape easily, he had observed.

“We are working on bringing a new law to tackle the issue of duplicate fertilisers, seeds. The law will be strict as the present law is not that strict,” he told reporters after the function.

Earlier, the Union Minister also held a detailed review meeting with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at the State Secretariat in Srinagar, said a statement from the Ministry of Rural Development.

Chouhan emphasised that a developed Jammu and Kashmir is crucial to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’.

Several important decisions were taken in the interests of farmers and rural residents of the region, he said.