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However, the panel is dismayed to find that the position of preferential allotment of mineral mines in favour of fertilizer PSUs for exploration of raw materials changed with the recent notification of the Ministry of Mines incorporating phosphatic and potassic minerals in the list of “Critical and Strategic Minerals” opening them for auction to maximize revenue for the State necessitating fertilizer companies to participate in the auction process for acquisition of any new mines.

“Intriguingly while the fertilizer sector was placed in the ‘Non-Strategic Sector’ necessitating disinvestment of the fertilizer PSUs, other notified phosphatic and potassic minerals were placed in the list of “Critical and Strategic Minerals”. The committee find this apparently contradictory,” the report said.

Keeping in view the historical role of fertilizer PSUs in the production of fertilizers for the country, the committee desires that they may be given preference in the allotment of mineral mines.

In another suggestion, the panel said that though the government has been implementing direct benefit transfer (DBT) in fertilizers on since 2018 by making 100 per cent payment of subsidy to fertilizer manufacturing companies on the basis of actual sales, it is time to roll out direct cash transfer.

The committee appreciated the steps taken to explore possibility of using the PM-KISAN database to implement a pilot Direct Cash Transfer project in selected districts based on their data on Farmers’ Registration as maintained by the Agriculture Ministry. “The Department of Fertilizers has asked the Agriculture Ministry to develop a module for entitlement using land, cropping pattern, soil health data of the farmer in July 2024,” it said.

HBL