Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 73
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
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 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 73
Cake\Controller\Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 610
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
Cake\Http\BaseApplication::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/BaseApplication.php, line 235
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php, line 88
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 74
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
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 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 74
Cake\Controller\Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 610
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
Cake\Http\BaseApplication::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/BaseApplication.php, line 235
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php, line 88
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Code Context
            if (Configure::read('debug')) {

                trigger_error($message, E_USER_WARNING);

            } else {
$response = object(Cake\Http\Response) {

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    <link rel="canonical" href="https://im4change.in/<pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr680394c1a250a-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr680394c1a250a-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Notice</b> (8)</a>: Undefined variable: urlPrefix [<b>APP/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp</b>, line <b>8</b>]<div id="cakeErr680394c1a250a-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr680394c1a250a-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr680394c1a250a-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr680394c1a250a-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr680394c1a250a-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr680394c1a250a-code" class="cake-code-dump" style="display: none;"><code><span style="color: #000000"><span style="color: #0000BB"></span><span style="color: #007700">&lt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">head</span><span style="color: #007700">&gt;
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		&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;Smart fertiliser subsidy signals bold farm reform by Swaraj Thapa, Ravish Tiwari&#039;,
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;This will incentivise companies to innovate beyond a handful of products sold in the market presently and offer farmers choice based on soil needs. This is expected to trim the subsidy bill by about Rs 44,000 crore a year. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The NBS regime, approved by the Cabinet today, replaces the age-old product-based subsidy regime for fertilisers, and comes despite serious reservations by DMK and Trinamool Congress, key partners in the UPA government. DMK chief M Karunanidhi&amp;rsquo;s son M K Alagiri is the Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Proceedings in the Cabinet took a rather curious turn when Alagiri first proposed the new regime in the meeting and then openly expressed doubts in writing about its timing. He requested his other DMK colleague in the Cabinet, Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran, to read out a two-page note in English in which the DMK&amp;rsquo;s stand seeking postponement of the NBS was recorded. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;But Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was keen that the new regime be put in place now. The country&amp;rsquo;s fertiliser subsidy has shot up by 530 per cent in the past five years and touched Rs 99,456 crore in 2008-09. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;If the present system continues, the government estimates the subsidy bill to shoot up to Rs 1,73,000 crore in 2011-12. The NBS regime will save the government Rs 44,000 crore in subsidy every year. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;It is, however, not just about lower subsidies. Under the existing regime, the government provides subsidy (the difference between the cost of production and the controlled sale price) only on 15 fertiliser products &amp;mdash; urea, muriate of potash, diammonium phosphate, single super phosphate and 11 other complexes with defined phosphorous (P), nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) content. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Companies find it viable to market only these 15 products, stifling innovation and leaving no choice for farmers. So even though there are better fertilisers than urea with N content, urea is the most preferred fertiliser in India because its sale price is fixed at Rs 4,830 a tonne. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The Cabinet also approved a 10 per cent hike in urea prices to Rs 5,310 a tonne amidst doubts expressed by some other ministerial colleagues about its &amp;ldquo;adverse impact&amp;rdquo; on farmers. The NDA government had last attempted to revise urea prices up by 5 per cent in 2002, but had to roll it back after hectic lobbying by companies and protests. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The Prime Minister placated concerned ministers by agreeing to set up an inter-ministerial mechanism that will attend to farmers&amp;rsquo; interests by cushioning rising farm inputs with enhanced minimum support prices. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said after the meeting that the new NBS had been approved after a full-fledged discussion. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Singh and other advocates in the Cabinet had braced themselves for opposition and were well prepared to push through the NBS regime. This was clear when Alagiri was forced to move the proposal despite reservations by his own party. &amp;ldquo;If he wanted it postponed, he should have never moved it,&amp;rdquo; remarked a Cabinet minister. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Reservations about the consequences of the new subsidy mechanism were also flagged by Railway Minister and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee who said farmer interests should not be hurt. Both Banerjee and the DMK ministers pointed out that elections were round the corner in their states and the Opposition should not be handed a handle to beat them with. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Similar concerns were raised by some Congress ministers too, but it was clear that the line-up in the Cabinet was clearly in favour of the new subsidy regime. Home Minister P Chidambaram, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh were among those who spoke in favour of the subsidy regime, sources said. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The Prime Minister allowed all ministers present to express their views on the issue, resulting in a marathon two hour meeting. It was a tactical move by Singh, the sources said, as it left little scope for those present, especially from the &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&#039;,
		&#039;credit_writer&#039; =&gt; &#039;The Indian Express, 19 February, 2010, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/smart-fertiliser-subsidy-signals-bold-farm-reform/581676/
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In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. 


This will...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;This will incentivise companies to innovate beyond a handful of products sold in the market presently and offer farmers choice based on soil needs. This is expected to trim the subsidy bill by about Rs 44,000 crore a year. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;The NBS regime, approved by the Cabinet today, replaces the age-old product-based subsidy regime for fertilisers, and comes despite serious reservations by DMK and Trinamool Congress, key partners in the UPA government. DMK chief M Karunanidhi&amp;rsquo;s son M K Alagiri is the Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;Proceedings in the Cabinet took a rather curious turn when Alagiri first proposed the new regime in the meeting and then openly expressed doubts in writing about its timing. He requested his other DMK colleague in the Cabinet, Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran, to read out a two-page note in English in which the DMK&amp;rsquo;s stand seeking postponement of the NBS was recorded. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;But Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was keen that the new regime be put in place now. The country&amp;rsquo;s fertiliser subsidy has shot up by 530 per cent in the past five years and touched Rs 99,456 crore in 2008-09. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;If the present system continues, the government estimates the subsidy bill to shoot up to Rs 1,73,000 crore in 2011-12. The NBS regime will save the government Rs 44,000 crore in subsidy every year. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;It is, however, not just about lower subsidies. Under the existing regime, the government provides subsidy (the difference between the cost of production and the controlled sale price) only on 15 fertiliser products &amp;mdash; urea, muriate of potash, diammonium phosphate, single super phosphate and 11 other complexes with defined phosphorous (P), nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) content. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;Companies find it viable to market only these 15 products, stifling innovation and leaving no choice for farmers. So even though there are better fertilisers than urea with N content, urea is the most preferred fertiliser in India because its sale price is fixed at Rs 4,830 a tonne. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;The Cabinet also approved a 10 per cent hike in urea prices to Rs 5,310 a tonne amidst doubts expressed by some other ministerial colleagues about its &amp;ldquo;adverse impact&amp;rdquo; on farmers. The NDA government had last attempted to revise urea prices up by 5 per cent in 2002, but had to roll it back after hectic lobbying by companies and protests. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;The Prime Minister placated concerned ministers by agreeing to set up an inter-ministerial mechanism that will attend to farmers&amp;rsquo; interests by cushioning rising farm inputs with enhanced minimum support prices. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said after the meeting that the new NBS had been approved after a full-fledged discussion. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;Singh and other advocates in the Cabinet had braced themselves for opposition and were well prepared to push through the NBS regime. 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Home Minister P Chidambaram, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh were among those who spoke in favour of the subsidy regime, sources said. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;The Prime Minister allowed all ministers present to express their views on the issue, resulting in a marathon two hour meeting. It was a tactical move by Singh, the sources said, as it left little scope for those present, especially from the &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#039;,
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	&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;Smart fertiliser subsidy signals bold farm reform by Swaraj Thapa, Ravish Tiwari&#039;,
	&#039;subheading&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
	&#039;description&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;This will incentivise companies to innovate beyond a handful of products sold in the market presently and offer farmers choice based on soil needs. This is expected to trim the subsidy bill by about Rs 44,000 crore a year. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The NBS regime, approved by the Cabinet today, replaces the age-old product-based subsidy regime for fertilisers, and comes despite serious reservations by DMK and Trinamool Congress, key partners in the UPA government. DMK chief M Karunanidhi&amp;rsquo;s son M K Alagiri is the Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Proceedings in the Cabinet took a rather curious turn when Alagiri first proposed the new regime in the meeting and then openly expressed doubts in writing about its timing. He requested his other DMK colleague in the Cabinet, Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran, to read out a two-page note in English in which the DMK&amp;rsquo;s stand seeking postponement of the NBS was recorded. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;But Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was keen that the new regime be put in place now. The country&amp;rsquo;s fertiliser subsidy has shot up by 530 per cent in the past five years and touched Rs 99,456 crore in 2008-09. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;If the present system continues, the government estimates the subsidy bill to shoot up to Rs 1,73,000 crore in 2011-12. The NBS regime will save the government Rs 44,000 crore in subsidy every year. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;It is, however, not just about lower subsidies. Under the existing regime, the government provides subsidy (the difference between the cost of production and the controlled sale price) only on 15 fertiliser products &amp;mdash; urea, muriate of potash, diammonium phosphate, single super phosphate and 11 other complexes with defined phosphorous (P), nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) content. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Companies find it viable to market only these 15 products, stifling innovation and leaving no choice for farmers. So even though there are better fertilisers than urea with N content, urea is the most preferred fertiliser in India because its sale price is fixed at Rs 4,830 a tonne. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The Cabinet also approved a 10 per cent hike in urea prices to Rs 5,310 a tonne amidst doubts expressed by some other ministerial colleagues about its &amp;ldquo;adverse impact&amp;rdquo; on farmers. The NDA government had last attempted to revise urea prices up by 5 per cent in 2002, but had to roll it back after hectic lobbying by companies and protests. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The Prime Minister placated concerned ministers by agreeing to set up an inter-ministerial mechanism that will attend to farmers&amp;rsquo; interests by cushioning rising farm inputs with enhanced minimum support prices. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said after the meeting that the new NBS had been approved after a full-fledged discussion. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Singh and other advocates in the Cabinet had braced themselves for opposition and were well prepared to push through the NBS regime. This was clear when Alagiri was forced to move the proposal despite reservations by his own party. &amp;ldquo;If he wanted it postponed, he should have never moved it,&amp;rdquo; remarked a Cabinet minister. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Reservations about the consequences of the new subsidy mechanism were also flagged by Railway Minister and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee who said farmer interests should not be hurt. Both Banerjee and the DMK ministers pointed out that elections were round the corner in their states and the Opposition should not be handed a handle to beat them with. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Similar concerns were raised by some Congress ministers too, but it was clear that the line-up in the Cabinet was clearly in favour of the new subsidy regime. Home Minister P Chidambaram, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh were among those who spoke in favour of the subsidy regime, sources said. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The Prime Minister allowed all ministers present to express their views on the issue, resulting in a marathon two hour meeting. It was a tactical move by Singh, the sources said, as it left little scope for those present, especially from the &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&#039;,
	&#039;credit_writer&#039; =&gt; &#039;The Indian Express, 19 February, 2010, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/smart-fertiliser-subsidy-signals-bold-farm-reform/581676/
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In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. 


This will...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;This will incentivise companies to innovate beyond a handful of products sold in the market presently and offer farmers choice based on soil needs. This is expected to trim the subsidy bill by about Rs 44,000 crore a year. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;The NBS regime, approved by the Cabinet today, replaces the age-old product-based subsidy regime for fertilisers, and comes despite serious reservations by DMK and Trinamool Congress, key partners in the UPA government. DMK chief M Karunanidhi&amp;rsquo;s son M K Alagiri is the Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;Proceedings in the Cabinet took a rather curious turn when Alagiri first proposed the new regime in the meeting and then openly expressed doubts in writing about its timing. He requested his other DMK colleague in the Cabinet, Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran, to read out a two-page note in English in which the DMK&amp;rsquo;s stand seeking postponement of the NBS was recorded. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;But Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was keen that the new regime be put in place now. The country&amp;rsquo;s fertiliser subsidy has shot up by 530 per cent in the past five years and touched Rs 99,456 crore in 2008-09. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;If the present system continues, the government estimates the subsidy bill to shoot up to Rs 1,73,000 crore in 2011-12. The NBS regime will save the government Rs 44,000 crore in subsidy every year. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;It is, however, not just about lower subsidies. Under the existing regime, the government provides subsidy (the difference between the cost of production and the controlled sale price) only on 15 fertiliser products &amp;mdash; urea, muriate of potash, diammonium phosphate, single super phosphate and 11 other complexes with defined phosphorous (P), nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) content. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;Companies find it viable to market only these 15 products, stifling innovation and leaving no choice for farmers. So even though there are better fertilisers than urea with N content, urea is the most preferred fertiliser in India because its sale price is fixed at Rs 4,830 a tonne. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;The Cabinet also approved a 10 per cent hike in urea prices to Rs 5,310 a tonne amidst doubts expressed by some other ministerial colleagues about its &amp;ldquo;adverse impact&amp;rdquo; on farmers. The NDA government had last attempted to revise urea prices up by 5 per cent in 2002, but had to roll it back after hectic lobbying by companies and protests. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;The Prime Minister placated concerned ministers by agreeing to set up an inter-ministerial mechanism that will attend to farmers&amp;rsquo; interests by cushioning rising farm inputs with enhanced minimum support prices. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said after the meeting that the new NBS had been approved after a full-fledged discussion. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;Singh and other advocates in the Cabinet had braced themselves for opposition and were well prepared to push through the NBS regime. This was clear when Alagiri was forced to move the proposal despite reservations by his own party. &amp;ldquo;If he wanted it postponed, he should have never moved it,&amp;rdquo; remarked a Cabinet minister. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;Reservations about the consequences of the new subsidy mechanism were also flagged by Railway Minister and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee who said farmer interests should not be hurt. Both Banerjee and the DMK ministers pointed out that elections were round the corner in their states and the Opposition should not be handed a handle to beat them with. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;Similar concerns were raised by some Congress ministers too, but it was clear that the line-up in the Cabinet was clearly in favour of the new subsidy regime. Home Minister P Chidambaram, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh were among those who spoke in favour of the subsidy regime, sources said. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;The Prime Minister allowed all ministers present to express their views on the issue, resulting in a marathon two hour meeting. It was a tactical move by Singh, the sources said, as it left little scope for those present, especially from the &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#039;
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In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. 


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                <strong>Smart fertiliser subsidy signals bold farm reform by Swaraj Thapa, Ravish Tiwari</strong></h1>
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                <p align="justify"><font >In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >This will incentivise companies to innovate beyond a handful of products sold in the market presently and offer farmers choice based on soil needs. This is expected to trim the subsidy bill by about Rs 44,000 crore a year. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >The NBS regime, approved by the Cabinet today, replaces the age-old product-based subsidy regime for fertilisers, and comes despite serious reservations by DMK and Trinamool Congress, key partners in the UPA government. DMK chief M Karunanidhi&rsquo;s son M K Alagiri is the Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >Proceedings in the Cabinet took a rather curious turn when Alagiri first proposed the new regime in the meeting and then openly expressed doubts in writing about its timing. He requested his other DMK colleague in the Cabinet, Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran, to read out a two-page note in English in which the DMK&rsquo;s stand seeking postponement of the NBS was recorded. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >But Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was keen that the new regime be put in place now. The country&rsquo;s fertiliser subsidy has shot up by 530 per cent in the past five years and touched Rs 99,456 crore in 2008-09. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >If the present system continues, the government estimates the subsidy bill to shoot up to Rs 1,73,000 crore in 2011-12. The NBS regime will save the government Rs 44,000 crore in subsidy every year. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >It is, however, not just about lower subsidies. Under the existing regime, the government provides subsidy (the difference between the cost of production and the controlled sale price) only on 15 fertiliser products &mdash; urea, muriate of potash, diammonium phosphate, single super phosphate and 11 other complexes with defined phosphorous (P), nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) content. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >Companies find it viable to market only these 15 products, stifling innovation and leaving no choice for farmers. So even though there are better fertilisers than urea with N content, urea is the most preferred fertiliser in India because its sale price is fixed at Rs 4,830 a tonne. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >The Cabinet also approved a 10 per cent hike in urea prices to Rs 5,310 a tonne amidst doubts expressed by some other ministerial colleagues about its &ldquo;adverse impact&rdquo; on farmers. The NDA government had last attempted to revise urea prices up by 5 per cent in 2002, but had to roll it back after hectic lobbying by companies and protests. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >The Prime Minister placated concerned ministers by agreeing to set up an inter-ministerial mechanism that will attend to farmers&rsquo; interests by cushioning rising farm inputs with enhanced minimum support prices. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said after the meeting that the new NBS had been approved after a full-fledged discussion. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >Singh and other advocates in the Cabinet had braced themselves for opposition and were well prepared to push through the NBS regime. This was clear when Alagiri was forced to move the proposal despite reservations by his own party. &ldquo;If he wanted it postponed, he should have never moved it,&rdquo; remarked a Cabinet minister. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >Reservations about the consequences of the new subsidy mechanism were also flagged by Railway Minister and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee who said farmer interests should not be hurt. Both Banerjee and the DMK ministers pointed out that elections were round the corner in their states and the Opposition should not be handed a handle to beat them with. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >Similar concerns were raised by some Congress ministers too, but it was clear that the line-up in the Cabinet was clearly in favour of the new subsidy regime. Home Minister P Chidambaram, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh were among those who spoke in favour of the subsidy regime, sources said. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >The Prime Minister allowed all ministers present to express their views on the issue, resulting in a marathon two hour meeting. It was a tactical move by Singh, the sources said, as it left little scope for those present, especially from the </font></p>               </font>
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		&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;Smart fertiliser subsidy signals bold farm reform by Swaraj Thapa, Ravish Tiwari&#039;,
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		&#039;description&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;This will incentivise companies to innovate beyond a handful of products sold in the market presently and offer farmers choice based on soil needs. This is expected to trim the subsidy bill by about Rs 44,000 crore a year. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The NBS regime, approved by the Cabinet today, replaces the age-old product-based subsidy regime for fertilisers, and comes despite serious reservations by DMK and Trinamool Congress, key partners in the UPA government. DMK chief M Karunanidhi&amp;rsquo;s son M K Alagiri is the Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Proceedings in the Cabinet took a rather curious turn when Alagiri first proposed the new regime in the meeting and then openly expressed doubts in writing about its timing. He requested his other DMK colleague in the Cabinet, Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran, to read out a two-page note in English in which the DMK&amp;rsquo;s stand seeking postponement of the NBS was recorded. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;But Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was keen that the new regime be put in place now. The country&amp;rsquo;s fertiliser subsidy has shot up by 530 per cent in the past five years and touched Rs 99,456 crore in 2008-09. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;If the present system continues, the government estimates the subsidy bill to shoot up to Rs 1,73,000 crore in 2011-12. The NBS regime will save the government Rs 44,000 crore in subsidy every year. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;It is, however, not just about lower subsidies. Under the existing regime, the government provides subsidy (the difference between the cost of production and the controlled sale price) only on 15 fertiliser products &amp;mdash; urea, muriate of potash, diammonium phosphate, single super phosphate and 11 other complexes with defined phosphorous (P), nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) content. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Companies find it viable to market only these 15 products, stifling innovation and leaving no choice for farmers. So even though there are better fertilisers than urea with N content, urea is the most preferred fertiliser in India because its sale price is fixed at Rs 4,830 a tonne. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The Cabinet also approved a 10 per cent hike in urea prices to Rs 5,310 a tonne amidst doubts expressed by some other ministerial colleagues about its &amp;ldquo;adverse impact&amp;rdquo; on farmers. The NDA government had last attempted to revise urea prices up by 5 per cent in 2002, but had to roll it back after hectic lobbying by companies and protests. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The Prime Minister placated concerned ministers by agreeing to set up an inter-ministerial mechanism that will attend to farmers&amp;rsquo; interests by cushioning rising farm inputs with enhanced minimum support prices. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said after the meeting that the new NBS had been approved after a full-fledged discussion. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Singh and other advocates in the Cabinet had braced themselves for opposition and were well prepared to push through the NBS regime. This was clear when Alagiri was forced to move the proposal despite reservations by his own party. &amp;ldquo;If he wanted it postponed, he should have never moved it,&amp;rdquo; remarked a Cabinet minister. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Reservations about the consequences of the new subsidy mechanism were also flagged by Railway Minister and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee who said farmer interests should not be hurt. Both Banerjee and the DMK ministers pointed out that elections were round the corner in their states and the Opposition should not be handed a handle to beat them with. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Similar concerns were raised by some Congress ministers too, but it was clear that the line-up in the Cabinet was clearly in favour of the new subsidy regime. Home Minister P Chidambaram, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh were among those who spoke in favour of the subsidy regime, sources said. &lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The Prime Minister allowed all ministers present to express their views on the issue, resulting in a marathon two hour meeting. It was a tactical move by Singh, the sources said, as it left little scope for those present, especially from the &lt;/font&gt;
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		&#039;credit_writer&#039; =&gt; &#039;The Indian Express, 19 February, 2010, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/smart-fertiliser-subsidy-signals-bold-farm-reform/581676/
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In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. 


This will...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;This will incentivise companies to innovate beyond a handful of products sold in the market presently and offer farmers choice based on soil needs. This is expected to trim the subsidy bill by about Rs 44,000 crore a year. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;The NBS regime, approved by the Cabinet today, replaces the age-old product-based subsidy regime for fertilisers, and comes despite serious reservations by DMK and Trinamool Congress, key partners in the UPA government. DMK chief M Karunanidhi&amp;rsquo;s son M K Alagiri is the Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;Proceedings in the Cabinet took a rather curious turn when Alagiri first proposed the new regime in the meeting and then openly expressed doubts in writing about its timing. He requested his other DMK colleague in the Cabinet, Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran, to read out a two-page note in English in which the DMK&amp;rsquo;s stand seeking postponement of the NBS was recorded. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;But Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was keen that the new regime be put in place now. The country&amp;rsquo;s fertiliser subsidy has shot up by 530 per cent in the past five years and touched Rs 99,456 crore in 2008-09. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;If the present system continues, the government estimates the subsidy bill to shoot up to Rs 1,73,000 crore in 2011-12. The NBS regime will save the government Rs 44,000 crore in subsidy every year. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;It is, however, not just about lower subsidies. Under the existing regime, the government provides subsidy (the difference between the cost of production and the controlled sale price) only on 15 fertiliser products &amp;mdash; urea, muriate of potash, diammonium phosphate, single super phosphate and 11 other complexes with defined phosphorous (P), nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) content. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;Companies find it viable to market only these 15 products, stifling innovation and leaving no choice for farmers. So even though there are better fertilisers than urea with N content, urea is the most preferred fertiliser in India because its sale price is fixed at Rs 4,830 a tonne. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;The Cabinet also approved a 10 per cent hike in urea prices to Rs 5,310 a tonne amidst doubts expressed by some other ministerial colleagues about its &amp;ldquo;adverse impact&amp;rdquo; on farmers. The NDA government had last attempted to revise urea prices up by 5 per cent in 2002, but had to roll it back after hectic lobbying by companies and protests. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;The Prime Minister placated concerned ministers by agreeing to set up an inter-ministerial mechanism that will attend to farmers&amp;rsquo; interests by cushioning rising farm inputs with enhanced minimum support prices. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said after the meeting that the new NBS had been approved after a full-fledged discussion. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;Singh and other advocates in the Cabinet had braced themselves for opposition and were well prepared to push through the NBS regime. This was clear when Alagiri was forced to move the proposal despite reservations by his own party. &amp;ldquo;If he wanted it postponed, he should have never moved it,&amp;rdquo; remarked a Cabinet minister. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;Reservations about the consequences of the new subsidy mechanism were also flagged by Railway Minister and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee who said farmer interests should not be hurt. Both Banerjee and the DMK ministers pointed out that elections were round the corner in their states and the Opposition should not be handed a handle to beat them with. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;Similar concerns were raised by some Congress ministers too, but it was clear that the line-up in the Cabinet was clearly in favour of the new subsidy regime. Home Minister P Chidambaram, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh were among those who spoke in favour of the subsidy regime, sources said. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;The Prime Minister allowed all ministers present to express their views on the issue, resulting in a marathon two hour meeting. It was a tactical move by Singh, the sources said, as it left little scope for those present, especially from the &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#039;,
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	&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;Smart fertiliser subsidy signals bold farm reform by Swaraj Thapa, Ravish Tiwari&#039;,
	&#039;subheading&#039; =&gt; &#039;&#039;,
	&#039;description&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;This will incentivise companies to innovate beyond a handful of products sold in the market presently and offer farmers choice based on soil needs. This is expected to trim the subsidy bill by about Rs 44,000 crore a year. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The NBS regime, approved by the Cabinet today, replaces the age-old product-based subsidy regime for fertilisers, and comes despite serious reservations by DMK and Trinamool Congress, key partners in the UPA government. DMK chief M Karunanidhi&amp;rsquo;s son M K Alagiri is the Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Proceedings in the Cabinet took a rather curious turn when Alagiri first proposed the new regime in the meeting and then openly expressed doubts in writing about its timing. He requested his other DMK colleague in the Cabinet, Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran, to read out a two-page note in English in which the DMK&amp;rsquo;s stand seeking postponement of the NBS was recorded. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;But Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was keen that the new regime be put in place now. The country&amp;rsquo;s fertiliser subsidy has shot up by 530 per cent in the past five years and touched Rs 99,456 crore in 2008-09. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;If the present system continues, the government estimates the subsidy bill to shoot up to Rs 1,73,000 crore in 2011-12. The NBS regime will save the government Rs 44,000 crore in subsidy every year. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;It is, however, not just about lower subsidies. Under the existing regime, the government provides subsidy (the difference between the cost of production and the controlled sale price) only on 15 fertiliser products &amp;mdash; urea, muriate of potash, diammonium phosphate, single super phosphate and 11 other complexes with defined phosphorous (P), nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) content. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Companies find it viable to market only these 15 products, stifling innovation and leaving no choice for farmers. So even though there are better fertilisers than urea with N content, urea is the most preferred fertiliser in India because its sale price is fixed at Rs 4,830 a tonne. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The Cabinet also approved a 10 per cent hike in urea prices to Rs 5,310 a tonne amidst doubts expressed by some other ministerial colleagues about its &amp;ldquo;adverse impact&amp;rdquo; on farmers. The NDA government had last attempted to revise urea prices up by 5 per cent in 2002, but had to roll it back after hectic lobbying by companies and protests. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The Prime Minister placated concerned ministers by agreeing to set up an inter-ministerial mechanism that will attend to farmers&amp;rsquo; interests by cushioning rising farm inputs with enhanced minimum support prices. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said after the meeting that the new NBS had been approved after a full-fledged discussion. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Singh and other advocates in the Cabinet had braced themselves for opposition and were well prepared to push through the NBS regime. This was clear when Alagiri was forced to move the proposal despite reservations by his own party. &amp;ldquo;If he wanted it postponed, he should have never moved it,&amp;rdquo; remarked a Cabinet minister. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Reservations about the consequences of the new subsidy mechanism were also flagged by Railway Minister and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee who said farmer interests should not be hurt. Both Banerjee and the DMK ministers pointed out that elections were round the corner in their states and the Opposition should not be handed a handle to beat them with. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Similar concerns were raised by some Congress ministers too, but it was clear that the line-up in the Cabinet was clearly in favour of the new subsidy regime. Home Minister P Chidambaram, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh were among those who spoke in favour of the subsidy regime, sources said. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The Prime Minister allowed all ministers present to express their views on the issue, resulting in a marathon two hour meeting. It was a tactical move by Singh, the sources said, as it left little scope for those present, especially from the &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&#039;,
	&#039;credit_writer&#039; =&gt; &#039;The Indian Express, 19 February, 2010, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/smart-fertiliser-subsidy-signals-bold-farm-reform/581676/
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In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. 


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Under the existing regime, the government provides subsidy (the difference between the cost of production and the controlled sale price) only on 15 fertiliser products &amp;mdash; urea, muriate of potash, diammonium phosphate, single super phosphate and 11 other complexes with defined phosphorous (P), nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) content. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;Companies find it viable to market only these 15 products, stifling innovation and leaving no choice for farmers. So even though there are better fertilisers than urea with N content, urea is the most preferred fertiliser in India because its sale price is fixed at Rs 4,830 a tonne. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;The Cabinet also approved a 10 per cent hike in urea prices to Rs 5,310 a tonne amidst doubts expressed by some other ministerial colleagues about its &amp;ldquo;adverse impact&amp;rdquo; on farmers. 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Home Minister P Chidambaram, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh were among those who spoke in favour of the subsidy regime, sources said. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;The Prime Minister allowed all ministers present to express their views on the issue, resulting in a marathon two hour meeting. It was a tactical move by Singh, the sources said, as it left little scope for those present, especially from the &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#039;
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In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. 


This will..."/>
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                <strong>Smart fertiliser subsidy signals bold farm reform by Swaraj Thapa, Ravish Tiwari</strong></h1>
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                <p align="justify"><font >In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >This will incentivise companies to innovate beyond a handful of products sold in the market presently and offer farmers choice based on soil needs. This is expected to trim the subsidy bill by about Rs 44,000 crore a year. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >The NBS regime, approved by the Cabinet today, replaces the age-old product-based subsidy regime for fertilisers, and comes despite serious reservations by DMK and Trinamool Congress, key partners in the UPA government. DMK chief M Karunanidhi&rsquo;s son M K Alagiri is the Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >Proceedings in the Cabinet took a rather curious turn when Alagiri first proposed the new regime in the meeting and then openly expressed doubts in writing about its timing. He requested his other DMK colleague in the Cabinet, Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran, to read out a two-page note in English in which the DMK&rsquo;s stand seeking postponement of the NBS was recorded. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >But Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was keen that the new regime be put in place now. The country&rsquo;s fertiliser subsidy has shot up by 530 per cent in the past five years and touched Rs 99,456 crore in 2008-09. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >If the present system continues, the government estimates the subsidy bill to shoot up to Rs 1,73,000 crore in 2011-12. The NBS regime will save the government Rs 44,000 crore in subsidy every year. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >It is, however, not just about lower subsidies. Under the existing regime, the government provides subsidy (the difference between the cost of production and the controlled sale price) only on 15 fertiliser products &mdash; urea, muriate of potash, diammonium phosphate, single super phosphate and 11 other complexes with defined phosphorous (P), nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) content. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >Companies find it viable to market only these 15 products, stifling innovation and leaving no choice for farmers. So even though there are better fertilisers than urea with N content, urea is the most preferred fertiliser in India because its sale price is fixed at Rs 4,830 a tonne. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >The Cabinet also approved a 10 per cent hike in urea prices to Rs 5,310 a tonne amidst doubts expressed by some other ministerial colleagues about its &ldquo;adverse impact&rdquo; on farmers. The NDA government had last attempted to revise urea prices up by 5 per cent in 2002, but had to roll it back after hectic lobbying by companies and protests. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >The Prime Minister placated concerned ministers by agreeing to set up an inter-ministerial mechanism that will attend to farmers&rsquo; interests by cushioning rising farm inputs with enhanced minimum support prices. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said after the meeting that the new NBS had been approved after a full-fledged discussion. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >Singh and other advocates in the Cabinet had braced themselves for opposition and were well prepared to push through the NBS regime. This was clear when Alagiri was forced to move the proposal despite reservations by his own party. &ldquo;If he wanted it postponed, he should have never moved it,&rdquo; remarked a Cabinet minister. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >Reservations about the consequences of the new subsidy mechanism were also flagged by Railway Minister and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee who said farmer interests should not be hurt. Both Banerjee and the DMK ministers pointed out that elections were round the corner in their states and the Opposition should not be handed a handle to beat them with. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >Similar concerns were raised by some Congress ministers too, but it was clear that the line-up in the Cabinet was clearly in favour of the new subsidy regime. Home Minister P Chidambaram, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh were among those who spoke in favour of the subsidy regime, sources said. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >The Prime Minister allowed all ministers present to express their views on the issue, resulting in a marathon two hour meeting. It was a tactical move by Singh, the sources said, as it left little scope for those present, especially from the </font></p>               </font>
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    <link rel="canonical" href="https://im4change.in/<pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr680394c1a250a-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr680394c1a250a-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Notice</b> (8)</a>: Undefined variable: urlPrefix [<b>APP/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp</b>, line <b>8</b>]<div id="cakeErr680394c1a250a-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr680394c1a250a-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr680394c1a250a-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr680394c1a250a-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr680394c1a250a-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr680394c1a250a-code" class="cake-code-dump" style="display: none;"><code><span style="color: #000000"><span style="color: #0000BB"></span><span style="color: #007700">&lt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">head</span><span style="color: #007700">&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. &lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;This will incentivise companies to innovate beyond a handful of products sold in the market presently and offer farmers choice based on soil needs. This is expected to trim the subsidy bill by about Rs 44,000 crore a year. &lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The NBS regime, approved by the Cabinet today, replaces the age-old product-based subsidy regime for fertilisers, and comes despite serious reservations by DMK and Trinamool Congress, key partners in the UPA government. DMK chief M Karunanidhi&amp;rsquo;s son M K Alagiri is the Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Proceedings in the Cabinet took a rather curious turn when Alagiri first proposed the new regime in the meeting and then openly expressed doubts in writing about its timing. He requested his other DMK colleague in the Cabinet, Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran, to read out a two-page note in English in which the DMK&amp;rsquo;s stand seeking postponement of the NBS was recorded. &lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;But Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was keen that the new regime be put in place now. The country&amp;rsquo;s fertiliser subsidy has shot up by 530 per cent in the past five years and touched Rs 99,456 crore in 2008-09. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;If the present system continues, the government estimates the subsidy bill to shoot up to Rs 1,73,000 crore in 2011-12. The NBS regime will save the government Rs 44,000 crore in subsidy every year. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;It is, however, not just about lower subsidies. Under the existing regime, the government provides subsidy (the difference between the cost of production and the controlled sale price) only on 15 fertiliser products &amp;mdash; urea, muriate of potash, diammonium phosphate, single super phosphate and 11 other complexes with defined phosphorous (P), nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) content. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Companies find it viable to market only these 15 products, stifling innovation and leaving no choice for farmers. So even though there are better fertilisers than urea with N content, urea is the most preferred fertiliser in India because its sale price is fixed at Rs 4,830 a tonne. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The Cabinet also approved a 10 per cent hike in urea prices to Rs 5,310 a tonne amidst doubts expressed by some other ministerial colleagues about its &amp;ldquo;adverse impact&amp;rdquo; on farmers. The NDA government had last attempted to revise urea prices up by 5 per cent in 2002, but had to roll it back after hectic lobbying by companies and protests. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The Prime Minister placated concerned ministers by agreeing to set up an inter-ministerial mechanism that will attend to farmers&amp;rsquo; interests by cushioning rising farm inputs with enhanced minimum support prices. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said after the meeting that the new NBS had been approved after a full-fledged discussion. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Singh and other advocates in the Cabinet had braced themselves for opposition and were well prepared to push through the NBS regime. This was clear when Alagiri was forced to move the proposal despite reservations by his own party. &amp;ldquo;If he wanted it postponed, he should have never moved it,&amp;rdquo; remarked a Cabinet minister. &lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Reservations about the consequences of the new subsidy mechanism were also flagged by Railway Minister and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee who said farmer interests should not be hurt. Both Banerjee and the DMK ministers pointed out that elections were round the corner in their states and the Opposition should not be handed a handle to beat them with. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Similar concerns were raised by some Congress ministers too, but it was clear that the line-up in the Cabinet was clearly in favour of the new subsidy regime. Home Minister P Chidambaram, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh were among those who spoke in favour of the subsidy regime, sources said. &lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The Prime Minister allowed all ministers present to express their views on the issue, resulting in a marathon two hour meeting. It was a tactical move by Singh, the sources said, as it left little scope for those present, especially from the &lt;/font&gt;
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In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. 


This will...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;This will incentivise companies to innovate beyond a handful of products sold in the market presently and offer farmers choice based on soil needs. This is expected to trim the subsidy bill by about Rs 44,000 crore a year. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;The NBS regime, approved by the Cabinet today, replaces the age-old product-based subsidy regime for fertilisers, and comes despite serious reservations by DMK and Trinamool Congress, key partners in the UPA government. DMK chief M Karunanidhi&amp;rsquo;s son M K Alagiri is the Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;Proceedings in the Cabinet took a rather curious turn when Alagiri first proposed the new regime in the meeting and then openly expressed doubts in writing about its timing. He requested his other DMK colleague in the Cabinet, Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran, to read out a two-page note in English in which the DMK&amp;rsquo;s stand seeking postponement of the NBS was recorded. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;But Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was keen that the new regime be put in place now. The country&amp;rsquo;s fertiliser subsidy has shot up by 530 per cent in the past five years and touched Rs 99,456 crore in 2008-09. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;If the present system continues, the government estimates the subsidy bill to shoot up to Rs 1,73,000 crore in 2011-12. The NBS regime will save the government Rs 44,000 crore in subsidy every year. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;It is, however, not just about lower subsidies. 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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. &lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The NBS regime, approved by the Cabinet today, replaces the age-old product-based subsidy regime for fertilisers, and comes despite serious reservations by DMK and Trinamool Congress, key partners in the UPA government. DMK chief M Karunanidhi&amp;rsquo;s son M K Alagiri is the Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Proceedings in the Cabinet took a rather curious turn when Alagiri first proposed the new regime in the meeting and then openly expressed doubts in writing about its timing. He requested his other DMK colleague in the Cabinet, Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran, to read out a two-page note in English in which the DMK&amp;rsquo;s stand seeking postponement of the NBS was recorded. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;But Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was keen that the new regime be put in place now. The country&amp;rsquo;s fertiliser subsidy has shot up by 530 per cent in the past five years and touched Rs 99,456 crore in 2008-09. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;If the present system continues, the government estimates the subsidy bill to shoot up to Rs 1,73,000 crore in 2011-12. The NBS regime will save the government Rs 44,000 crore in subsidy every year. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;It is, however, not just about lower subsidies. Under the existing regime, the government provides subsidy (the difference between the cost of production and the controlled sale price) only on 15 fertiliser products &amp;mdash; urea, muriate of potash, diammonium phosphate, single super phosphate and 11 other complexes with defined phosphorous (P), nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) content. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Companies find it viable to market only these 15 products, stifling innovation and leaving no choice for farmers. So even though there are better fertilisers than urea with N content, urea is the most preferred fertiliser in India because its sale price is fixed at Rs 4,830 a tonne. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The Cabinet also approved a 10 per cent hike in urea prices to Rs 5,310 a tonne amidst doubts expressed by some other ministerial colleagues about its &amp;ldquo;adverse impact&amp;rdquo; on farmers. The NDA government had last attempted to revise urea prices up by 5 per cent in 2002, but had to roll it back after hectic lobbying by companies and protests. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The Prime Minister placated concerned ministers by agreeing to set up an inter-ministerial mechanism that will attend to farmers&amp;rsquo; interests by cushioning rising farm inputs with enhanced minimum support prices. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said after the meeting that the new NBS had been approved after a full-fledged discussion. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Singh and other advocates in the Cabinet had braced themselves for opposition and were well prepared to push through the NBS regime. This was clear when Alagiri was forced to move the proposal despite reservations by his own party. &amp;ldquo;If he wanted it postponed, he should have never moved it,&amp;rdquo; remarked a Cabinet minister. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Reservations about the consequences of the new subsidy mechanism were also flagged by Railway Minister and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee who said farmer interests should not be hurt. Both Banerjee and the DMK ministers pointed out that elections were round the corner in their states and the Opposition should not be handed a handle to beat them with. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Similar concerns were raised by some Congress ministers too, but it was clear that the line-up in the Cabinet was clearly in favour of the new subsidy regime. Home Minister P Chidambaram, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh were among those who spoke in favour of the subsidy regime, sources said. &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The Prime Minister allowed all ministers present to express their views on the issue, resulting in a marathon two hour meeting. It was a tactical move by Singh, the sources said, as it left little scope for those present, especially from the &lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
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In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. 


This will...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;This will incentivise companies to innovate beyond a handful of products sold in the market presently and offer farmers choice based on soil needs. This is expected to trim the subsidy bill by about Rs 44,000 crore a year. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;The NBS regime, approved by the Cabinet today, replaces the age-old product-based subsidy regime for fertilisers, and comes despite serious reservations by DMK and Trinamool Congress, key partners in the UPA government. DMK chief M Karunanidhi&amp;rsquo;s son M K Alagiri is the Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;Proceedings in the Cabinet took a rather curious turn when Alagiri first proposed the new regime in the meeting and then openly expressed doubts in writing about its timing. He requested his other DMK colleague in the Cabinet, Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran, to read out a two-page note in English in which the DMK&amp;rsquo;s stand seeking postponement of the NBS was recorded. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;But Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was keen that the new regime be put in place now. The country&amp;rsquo;s fertiliser subsidy has shot up by 530 per cent in the past five years and touched Rs 99,456 crore in 2008-09. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;If the present system continues, the government estimates the subsidy bill to shoot up to Rs 1,73,000 crore in 2011-12. The NBS regime will save the government Rs 44,000 crore in subsidy every year. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;It is, however, not just about lower subsidies. Under the existing regime, the government provides subsidy (the difference between the cost of production and the controlled sale price) only on 15 fertiliser products &amp;mdash; urea, muriate of potash, diammonium phosphate, single super phosphate and 11 other complexes with defined phosphorous (P), nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) content. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;Companies find it viable to market only these 15 products, stifling innovation and leaving no choice for farmers. So even though there are better fertilisers than urea with N content, urea is the most preferred fertiliser in India because its sale price is fixed at Rs 4,830 a tonne. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;The Cabinet also approved a 10 per cent hike in urea prices to Rs 5,310 a tonne amidst doubts expressed by some other ministerial colleagues about its &amp;ldquo;adverse impact&amp;rdquo; on farmers. The NDA government had last attempted to revise urea prices up by 5 per cent in 2002, but had to roll it back after hectic lobbying by companies and protests. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;The Prime Minister placated concerned ministers by agreeing to set up an inter-ministerial mechanism that will attend to farmers&amp;rsquo; interests by cushioning rising farm inputs with enhanced minimum support prices. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said after the meeting that the new NBS had been approved after a full-fledged discussion. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;Singh and other advocates in the Cabinet had braced themselves for opposition and were well prepared to push through the NBS regime. This was clear when Alagiri was forced to move the proposal despite reservations by his own party. &amp;ldquo;If he wanted it postponed, he should have never moved it,&amp;rdquo; remarked a Cabinet minister. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;Reservations about the consequences of the new subsidy mechanism were also flagged by Railway Minister and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee who said farmer interests should not be hurt. Both Banerjee and the DMK ministers pointed out that elections were round the corner in their states and the Opposition should not be handed a handle to beat them with. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;Similar concerns were raised by some Congress ministers too, but it was clear that the line-up in the Cabinet was clearly in favour of the new subsidy regime. Home Minister P Chidambaram, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh were among those who spoke in favour of the subsidy regime, sources said. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;The Prime Minister allowed all ministers present to express their views on the issue, resulting in a marathon two hour meeting. It was a tactical move by Singh, the sources said, as it left little scope for those present, especially from the &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#039;
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In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. 


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                <strong>Smart fertiliser subsidy signals bold farm reform by Swaraj Thapa, Ravish Tiwari</strong></h1>
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                <p align="justify"><font >In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >This will incentivise companies to innovate beyond a handful of products sold in the market presently and offer farmers choice based on soil needs. This is expected to trim the subsidy bill by about Rs 44,000 crore a year. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >The NBS regime, approved by the Cabinet today, replaces the age-old product-based subsidy regime for fertilisers, and comes despite serious reservations by DMK and Trinamool Congress, key partners in the UPA government. DMK chief M Karunanidhi&rsquo;s son M K Alagiri is the Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >Proceedings in the Cabinet took a rather curious turn when Alagiri first proposed the new regime in the meeting and then openly expressed doubts in writing about its timing. He requested his other DMK colleague in the Cabinet, Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran, to read out a two-page note in English in which the DMK&rsquo;s stand seeking postponement of the NBS was recorded. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >But Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was keen that the new regime be put in place now. The country&rsquo;s fertiliser subsidy has shot up by 530 per cent in the past five years and touched Rs 99,456 crore in 2008-09. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >If the present system continues, the government estimates the subsidy bill to shoot up to Rs 1,73,000 crore in 2011-12. The NBS regime will save the government Rs 44,000 crore in subsidy every year. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >It is, however, not just about lower subsidies. Under the existing regime, the government provides subsidy (the difference between the cost of production and the controlled sale price) only on 15 fertiliser products &mdash; urea, muriate of potash, diammonium phosphate, single super phosphate and 11 other complexes with defined phosphorous (P), nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) content. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >Companies find it viable to market only these 15 products, stifling innovation and leaving no choice for farmers. So even though there are better fertilisers than urea with N content, urea is the most preferred fertiliser in India because its sale price is fixed at Rs 4,830 a tonne. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >The Cabinet also approved a 10 per cent hike in urea prices to Rs 5,310 a tonne amidst doubts expressed by some other ministerial colleagues about its &ldquo;adverse impact&rdquo; on farmers. The NDA government had last attempted to revise urea prices up by 5 per cent in 2002, but had to roll it back after hectic lobbying by companies and protests. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >The Prime Minister placated concerned ministers by agreeing to set up an inter-ministerial mechanism that will attend to farmers&rsquo; interests by cushioning rising farm inputs with enhanced minimum support prices. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said after the meeting that the new NBS had been approved after a full-fledged discussion. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >Singh and other advocates in the Cabinet had braced themselves for opposition and were well prepared to push through the NBS regime. This was clear when Alagiri was forced to move the proposal despite reservations by his own party. &ldquo;If he wanted it postponed, he should have never moved it,&rdquo; remarked a Cabinet minister. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >Reservations about the consequences of the new subsidy mechanism were also flagged by Railway Minister and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee who said farmer interests should not be hurt. Both Banerjee and the DMK ministers pointed out that elections were round the corner in their states and the Opposition should not be handed a handle to beat them with. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >Similar concerns were raised by some Congress ministers too, but it was clear that the line-up in the Cabinet was clearly in favour of the new subsidy regime. Home Minister P Chidambaram, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh were among those who spoke in favour of the subsidy regime, sources said. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >The Prime Minister allowed all ministers present to express their views on the issue, resulting in a marathon two hour meeting. It was a tactical move by Singh, the sources said, as it left little scope for those present, especially from the </font></p>               </font>
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		'title' => 'Smart fertiliser subsidy signals bold farm reform by Swaraj Thapa, Ravish Tiwari',
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<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">This will incentivise companies to innovate beyond a handful of products sold in the market presently and offer farmers choice based on soil needs. This is expected to trim the subsidy bill by about Rs 44,000 crore a year. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">The NBS regime, approved by the Cabinet today, replaces the age-old product-based subsidy regime for fertilisers, and comes despite serious reservations by DMK and Trinamool Congress, key partners in the UPA government. DMK chief M Karunanidhi&rsquo;s son M K Alagiri is the Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">Proceedings in the Cabinet took a rather curious turn when Alagiri first proposed the new regime in the meeting and then openly expressed doubts in writing about its timing. He requested his other DMK colleague in the Cabinet, Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran, to read out a two-page note in English in which the DMK&rsquo;s stand seeking postponement of the NBS was recorded. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">But Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was keen that the new regime be put in place now. The country&rsquo;s fertiliser subsidy has shot up by 530 per cent in the past five years and touched Rs 99,456 crore in 2008-09. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">If the present system continues, the government estimates the subsidy bill to shoot up to Rs 1,73,000 crore in 2011-12. The NBS regime will save the government Rs 44,000 crore in subsidy every year. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">It is, however, not just about lower subsidies. Under the existing regime, the government provides subsidy (the difference between the cost of production and the controlled sale price) only on 15 fertiliser products &mdash; urea, muriate of potash, diammonium phosphate, single super phosphate and 11 other complexes with defined phosphorous (P), nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) content. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">Companies find it viable to market only these 15 products, stifling innovation and leaving no choice for farmers. So even though there are better fertilisers than urea with N content, urea is the most preferred fertiliser in India because its sale price is fixed at Rs 4,830 a tonne. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">The Cabinet also approved a 10 per cent hike in urea prices to Rs 5,310 a tonne amidst doubts expressed by some other ministerial colleagues about its &ldquo;adverse impact&rdquo; on farmers. The NDA government had last attempted to revise urea prices up by 5 per cent in 2002, but had to roll it back after hectic lobbying by companies and protests. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">The Prime Minister placated concerned ministers by agreeing to set up an inter-ministerial mechanism that will attend to farmers&rsquo; interests by cushioning rising farm inputs with enhanced minimum support prices. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said after the meeting that the new NBS had been approved after a full-fledged discussion. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">Singh and other advocates in the Cabinet had braced themselves for opposition and were well prepared to push through the NBS regime. This was clear when Alagiri was forced to move the proposal despite reservations by his own party. &ldquo;If he wanted it postponed, he should have never moved it,&rdquo; remarked a Cabinet minister. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">Reservations about the consequences of the new subsidy mechanism were also flagged by Railway Minister and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee who said farmer interests should not be hurt. Both Banerjee and the DMK ministers pointed out that elections were round the corner in their states and the Opposition should not be handed a handle to beat them with. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">Similar concerns were raised by some Congress ministers too, but it was clear that the line-up in the Cabinet was clearly in favour of the new subsidy regime. Home Minister P Chidambaram, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh were among those who spoke in favour of the subsidy regime, sources said. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">The Prime Minister allowed all ministers present to express their views on the issue, resulting in a marathon two hour meeting. It was a tactical move by Singh, the sources said, as it left little scope for those present, especially from the </font>
</p>
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	'metaTitle' => 'LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Smart fertiliser subsidy signals bold farm reform by Swaraj Thapa, Ravish Tiwari',
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In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. 


This will...',
	'disp' => '<p align="justify"><font >In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >This will incentivise companies to innovate beyond a handful of products sold in the market presently and offer farmers choice based on soil needs. This is expected to trim the subsidy bill by about Rs 44,000 crore a year. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >The NBS regime, approved by the Cabinet today, replaces the age-old product-based subsidy regime for fertilisers, and comes despite serious reservations by DMK and Trinamool Congress, key partners in the UPA government. DMK chief M Karunanidhi&rsquo;s son M K Alagiri is the Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >Proceedings in the Cabinet took a rather curious turn when Alagiri first proposed the new regime in the meeting and then openly expressed doubts in writing about its timing. He requested his other DMK colleague in the Cabinet, Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran, to read out a two-page note in English in which the DMK&rsquo;s stand seeking postponement of the NBS was recorded. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >But Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was keen that the new regime be put in place now. The country&rsquo;s fertiliser subsidy has shot up by 530 per cent in the past five years and touched Rs 99,456 crore in 2008-09. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >If the present system continues, the government estimates the subsidy bill to shoot up to Rs 1,73,000 crore in 2011-12. The NBS regime will save the government Rs 44,000 crore in subsidy every year. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >It is, however, not just about lower subsidies. Under the existing regime, the government provides subsidy (the difference between the cost of production and the controlled sale price) only on 15 fertiliser products &mdash; urea, muriate of potash, diammonium phosphate, single super phosphate and 11 other complexes with defined phosphorous (P), nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) content. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >Companies find it viable to market only these 15 products, stifling innovation and leaving no choice for farmers. So even though there are better fertilisers than urea with N content, urea is the most preferred fertiliser in India because its sale price is fixed at Rs 4,830 a tonne. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >The Cabinet also approved a 10 per cent hike in urea prices to Rs 5,310 a tonne amidst doubts expressed by some other ministerial colleagues about its &ldquo;adverse impact&rdquo; on farmers. The NDA government had last attempted to revise urea prices up by 5 per cent in 2002, but had to roll it back after hectic lobbying by companies and protests. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >The Prime Minister placated concerned ministers by agreeing to set up an inter-ministerial mechanism that will attend to farmers&rsquo; interests by cushioning rising farm inputs with enhanced minimum support prices. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said after the meeting that the new NBS had been approved after a full-fledged discussion. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >Singh and other advocates in the Cabinet had braced themselves for opposition and were well prepared to push through the NBS regime. This was clear when Alagiri was forced to move the proposal despite reservations by his own party. &ldquo;If he wanted it postponed, he should have never moved it,&rdquo; remarked a Cabinet minister. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >Reservations about the consequences of the new subsidy mechanism were also flagged by Railway Minister and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee who said farmer interests should not be hurt. Both Banerjee and the DMK ministers pointed out that elections were round the corner in their states and the Opposition should not be handed a handle to beat them with. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >Similar concerns were raised by some Congress ministers too, but it was clear that the line-up in the Cabinet was clearly in favour of the new subsidy regime. Home Minister P Chidambaram, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh were among those who spoke in favour of the subsidy regime, sources said. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >The Prime Minister allowed all ministers present to express their views on the issue, resulting in a marathon two hour meeting. It was a tactical move by Singh, the sources said, as it left little scope for those present, especially from the </font></p>',
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	'title' => 'Smart fertiliser subsidy signals bold farm reform by Swaraj Thapa, Ravish Tiwari',
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<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">This will incentivise companies to innovate beyond a handful of products sold in the market presently and offer farmers choice based on soil needs. This is expected to trim the subsidy bill by about Rs 44,000 crore a year. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">The NBS regime, approved by the Cabinet today, replaces the age-old product-based subsidy regime for fertilisers, and comes despite serious reservations by DMK and Trinamool Congress, key partners in the UPA government. DMK chief M Karunanidhi&rsquo;s son M K Alagiri is the Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">Proceedings in the Cabinet took a rather curious turn when Alagiri first proposed the new regime in the meeting and then openly expressed doubts in writing about its timing. He requested his other DMK colleague in the Cabinet, Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran, to read out a two-page note in English in which the DMK&rsquo;s stand seeking postponement of the NBS was recorded. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">But Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was keen that the new regime be put in place now. The country&rsquo;s fertiliser subsidy has shot up by 530 per cent in the past five years and touched Rs 99,456 crore in 2008-09. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">If the present system continues, the government estimates the subsidy bill to shoot up to Rs 1,73,000 crore in 2011-12. The NBS regime will save the government Rs 44,000 crore in subsidy every year. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">It is, however, not just about lower subsidies. Under the existing regime, the government provides subsidy (the difference between the cost of production and the controlled sale price) only on 15 fertiliser products &mdash; urea, muriate of potash, diammonium phosphate, single super phosphate and 11 other complexes with defined phosphorous (P), nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) content. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">Companies find it viable to market only these 15 products, stifling innovation and leaving no choice for farmers. So even though there are better fertilisers than urea with N content, urea is the most preferred fertiliser in India because its sale price is fixed at Rs 4,830 a tonne. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">The Cabinet also approved a 10 per cent hike in urea prices to Rs 5,310 a tonne amidst doubts expressed by some other ministerial colleagues about its &ldquo;adverse impact&rdquo; on farmers. The NDA government had last attempted to revise urea prices up by 5 per cent in 2002, but had to roll it back after hectic lobbying by companies and protests. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">The Prime Minister placated concerned ministers by agreeing to set up an inter-ministerial mechanism that will attend to farmers&rsquo; interests by cushioning rising farm inputs with enhanced minimum support prices. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said after the meeting that the new NBS had been approved after a full-fledged discussion. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">Singh and other advocates in the Cabinet had braced themselves for opposition and were well prepared to push through the NBS regime. This was clear when Alagiri was forced to move the proposal despite reservations by his own party. &ldquo;If he wanted it postponed, he should have never moved it,&rdquo; remarked a Cabinet minister. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">Reservations about the consequences of the new subsidy mechanism were also flagged by Railway Minister and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee who said farmer interests should not be hurt. Both Banerjee and the DMK ministers pointed out that elections were round the corner in their states and the Opposition should not be handed a handle to beat them with. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">Similar concerns were raised by some Congress ministers too, but it was clear that the line-up in the Cabinet was clearly in favour of the new subsidy regime. Home Minister P Chidambaram, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh were among those who spoke in favour of the subsidy regime, sources said. </font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">The Prime Minister allowed all ministers present to express their views on the issue, resulting in a marathon two hour meeting. It was a tactical move by Singh, the sources said, as it left little scope for those present, especially from the </font>
</p>
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In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. 


This will...'
$disp = '<p align="justify"><font >In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >This will incentivise companies to innovate beyond a handful of products sold in the market presently and offer farmers choice based on soil needs. This is expected to trim the subsidy bill by about Rs 44,000 crore a year. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >The NBS regime, approved by the Cabinet today, replaces the age-old product-based subsidy regime for fertilisers, and comes despite serious reservations by DMK and Trinamool Congress, key partners in the UPA government. DMK chief M Karunanidhi&rsquo;s son M K Alagiri is the Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >Proceedings in the Cabinet took a rather curious turn when Alagiri first proposed the new regime in the meeting and then openly expressed doubts in writing about its timing. He requested his other DMK colleague in the Cabinet, Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran, to read out a two-page note in English in which the DMK&rsquo;s stand seeking postponement of the NBS was recorded. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >But Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was keen that the new regime be put in place now. The country&rsquo;s fertiliser subsidy has shot up by 530 per cent in the past five years and touched Rs 99,456 crore in 2008-09. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >If the present system continues, the government estimates the subsidy bill to shoot up to Rs 1,73,000 crore in 2011-12. The NBS regime will save the government Rs 44,000 crore in subsidy every year. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >It is, however, not just about lower subsidies. Under the existing regime, the government provides subsidy (the difference between the cost of production and the controlled sale price) only on 15 fertiliser products &mdash; urea, muriate of potash, diammonium phosphate, single super phosphate and 11 other complexes with defined phosphorous (P), nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) content. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >Companies find it viable to market only these 15 products, stifling innovation and leaving no choice for farmers. So even though there are better fertilisers than urea with N content, urea is the most preferred fertiliser in India because its sale price is fixed at Rs 4,830 a tonne. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >The Cabinet also approved a 10 per cent hike in urea prices to Rs 5,310 a tonne amidst doubts expressed by some other ministerial colleagues about its &ldquo;adverse impact&rdquo; on farmers. The NDA government had last attempted to revise urea prices up by 5 per cent in 2002, but had to roll it back after hectic lobbying by companies and protests. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >The Prime Minister placated concerned ministers by agreeing to set up an inter-ministerial mechanism that will attend to farmers&rsquo; interests by cushioning rising farm inputs with enhanced minimum support prices. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said after the meeting that the new NBS had been approved after a full-fledged discussion. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >Singh and other advocates in the Cabinet had braced themselves for opposition and were well prepared to push through the NBS regime. This was clear when Alagiri was forced to move the proposal despite reservations by his own party. &ldquo;If he wanted it postponed, he should have never moved it,&rdquo; remarked a Cabinet minister. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >Reservations about the consequences of the new subsidy mechanism were also flagged by Railway Minister and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee who said farmer interests should not be hurt. Both Banerjee and the DMK ministers pointed out that elections were round the corner in their states and the Opposition should not be handed a handle to beat them with. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >Similar concerns were raised by some Congress ministers too, but it was clear that the line-up in the Cabinet was clearly in favour of the new subsidy regime. Home Minister P Chidambaram, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh were among those who spoke in favour of the subsidy regime, sources said. </font></p><p align="justify"><font >The Prime Minister allowed all ministers present to express their views on the issue, resulting in a marathon two hour meeting. It was a tactical move by Singh, the sources said, as it left little scope for those present, especially from the </font></p>'
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Smart fertiliser subsidy signals bold farm reform by Swaraj Thapa, Ravish Tiwari

In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. This will incentivise companies to innovate beyond a handful of products sold in the market presently and offer farmers choice based on soil needs. This is expected to trim the subsidy bill by about Rs 44,000 crore a year. The NBS regime, approved by the Cabinet today, replaces the age-old product-based subsidy regime for fertilisers, and comes despite serious reservations by DMK and Trinamool Congress, key partners in the UPA government. DMK chief M Karunanidhi’s son M K Alagiri is the Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister. Proceedings in the Cabinet took a rather curious turn when Alagiri first proposed the new regime in the meeting and then openly expressed doubts in writing about its timing. He requested his other DMK colleague in the Cabinet, Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran, to read out a two-page note in English in which the DMK’s stand seeking postponement of the NBS was recorded. But Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was keen that the new regime be put in place now. The country’s fertiliser subsidy has shot up by 530 per cent in the past five years and touched Rs 99,456 crore in 2008-09. If the present system continues, the government estimates the subsidy bill to shoot up to Rs 1,73,000 crore in 2011-12. The NBS regime will save the government Rs 44,000 crore in subsidy every year. It is, however, not just about lower subsidies. Under the existing regime, the government provides subsidy (the difference between the cost of production and the controlled sale price) only on 15 fertiliser products — urea, muriate of potash, diammonium phosphate, single super phosphate and 11 other complexes with defined phosphorous (P), nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) content. Companies find it viable to market only these 15 products, stifling innovation and leaving no choice for farmers. So even though there are better fertilisers than urea with N content, urea is the most preferred fertiliser in India because its sale price is fixed at Rs 4,830 a tonne. The Cabinet also approved a 10 per cent hike in urea prices to Rs 5,310 a tonne amidst doubts expressed by some other ministerial colleagues about its “adverse impact” on farmers. The NDA government had last attempted to revise urea prices up by 5 per cent in 2002, but had to roll it back after hectic lobbying by companies and protests. The Prime Minister placated concerned ministers by agreeing to set up an inter-ministerial mechanism that will attend to farmers’ interests by cushioning rising farm inputs with enhanced minimum support prices. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said after the meeting that the new NBS had been approved after a full-fledged discussion. Singh and other advocates in the Cabinet had braced themselves for opposition and were well prepared to push through the NBS regime. This was clear when Alagiri was forced to move the proposal despite reservations by his own party. “If he wanted it postponed, he should have never moved it,” remarked a Cabinet minister. Reservations about the consequences of the new subsidy mechanism were also flagged by Railway Minister and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee who said farmer interests should not be hurt. Both Banerjee and the DMK ministers pointed out that elections were round the corner in their states and the Opposition should not be handed a handle to beat them with. Similar concerns were raised by some Congress ministers too, but it was clear that the line-up in the Cabinet was clearly in favour of the new subsidy regime. Home Minister P Chidambaram, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh were among those who spoke in favour of the subsidy regime, sources said. The Prime Minister allowed all ministers present to express their views on the issue, resulting in a marathon two hour meeting. It was a tactical move by Singh, the sources said, as it left little scope for those present, especially from the