Government to focus on self-reliance in fertilizers, controlling prices of essential medicines: Ananth Kumar

NEW DELHI: Making India self-reliant in fertilizers and keeping the prices of essential medicines under control are among the key focus areas of the new government, Fertilizer and Chemicals Minister Ananth Kumar said on Wednesday.

On the lines of special economic zones, the government will create petrochemical hubs in different parts of the country, he said. “Across various regions like in Tamil Nadu, Assam and Odisha, we will have petrochemical hubs,” he said.

Farmers will be provided fertilizer before sowing starts for kharif, or summer, crops. The long-term policy of the government will be to assure that the country is self-reliant in fertilizers and pharmaceuticals and not depend on imports, he said.

“We are making a roadmap for the revival of closed urea units. Also, a new urea unit will be set up in Namrup in Assam and a new Single super phosphate unit by FCI Aravali Gypsum Minerals India Ltd in Rajasthan,” the minister said on Wednesday.

He also added that the government will work towards an action plan to enhance the availability of neem-coated urea.

According to Kumar, healthcare will be top on the government’s agenda. “Prices of over 400 essential medicines have been discounted by 25-40%,” he said, adding that he would work to ensure that essential medicines are available and affordable.

The government is discussing with multinational companies in the pharmaceutical sector to see if the cost of essential medicines could be reduced, Kumar said.