CITU Chandigarh and Federation of UT Employees and Workers Announce Support for Deltron Employees' Strike Chandigarh 10 June ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : CITU Chandigarh and the Federation of UT Employees and Workers, Chandigarh, have announced their firm support for the strike by employees of Deltron Company, Chandigarh, who have been protesting for the past four days. It is noteworthy that Deltron employees have been on strike for four days—halting work and staging a sit-in outside the factory gate—to press for demands such as a minimum wage of ₹25,000, double overtime pay, the regular observance of weekly off days, and the provision of nutritious food in the canteen. Meanwhile, the management is attempting to end the strike through various tactics without reaching a fair settlement, yet the employees remain steadfast in their demands. The Assistant Labour Commissioner is monitoring the situation but has so far been unable to facilitate a proper agreement. Today, Gopal Dutt Joshi...
Government of India Ensures Robust Urea Availability for Punjab’s Kharif 2026 Season; Over 10.71 LMT Supplied Against Pro-Rata Requirement of 9 LMT
No Urea Shortage in Punjab: Adequate Closing Stocks and High Pre-Positioning Supply Secure State’s Paddy Transplantation Requirements
Comprehensive Measures Activated to Shield Domestic Fertilizer Supply from Global Geo-Political Disruptions; Continuous Monitoring Keeps Punjab’s Fertilizer Stocks Sufficient
New Delhi 10 June ( PDL ) : The Department of Fertilizers, Government of India has strongly reassured that there is adequate availability of Urea in the State of Punjab for the ongoing Kharif 2026 agricultural season. Official data confirms that the Department of Fertilizers (DoF) has successfully maintained a highly surplus and healthy supply-chain pipeline to Punjab.
Punjab’s Stock Position: Fully Prepared for Paddy Season
Against the total Kharif 2026 season requirement of 14.50 LMT for Punjab, and a calculated pro-rata requirement of 9.0 LMT up to June 9, 2026, the Department of Fertilizers has ensured an availability of 10.71 LMT. Out of this supplied volume, actual sales of Urea in the state stood at 6.25 LMT, leaving a substantial closing stock of 4.46 LMT immediately available on the ground. Furthermore, an additional quantity of 39,167 MT (0.39 LMT) of Urea is currently in transit to Punjab. Ground-level verification from state government records indicates that paddy transplantation is yet to fully commence in the state, making the current stocks sufficient to comfortably meet emerging field requirements. In the district of Amritsar specifically, the total availability in the Kharif 2026 season so far has been a healthy 64,720 MT (0.65 LMT). As on date, a robust stock of 32,956 MT (0.33 LMT) of Urea remains available in Amritsar district alone.
Aggressive Pre-Positioning and Sales Trajectory
The current strong stock position is a direct result of aggressive pre-positioning strategies executed by the Central Government ahead of the Kharif season. Between January 2026 and March 2026, against a combined urea requirement of 3.50 LMT, the DoF supplied 6.08 LMT to Punjab—representing an additional 2.58 LMT to meet peak month requirements. Between March 1, 2026, and June 9, 2026, Urea sales in the state recorded a massive increase, standing at 7.86 LMT compared to 7.10 LMT during the same period last year—an increase of 0.76 LMT. This follows the Rabi 2025–26 season, where Punjab’s total Urea requirement was 15 LMT, against which the Department of Fertilizers ensured availability of 19.43 LMT. In Rabi 2025-26 recorded sales of 15.45 LMT (an excess of 45,000 MT over the initial projection). While these heavy off-takes may have impacted the state government's available buffer, the Central Government has successfully stabilized the pipeline through continuous replenishment.
The Macro Picture: Insulating India from Global Supply Disruptions
On the national and global front, the fertilizer supply chain has been navigating a highly volatile geo-political landscape. Prevailing global developments, notably the USA-Israel and Iran conflict, have heavily constrained global availability and disrupted maritime trade routes. Despite prevailing external headwinds, the Department of Fertilizers has insulated Indian agriculture from international shocks through proactive domestic policy interventions. The Government of India successfully activated the Empowered Pool Management Committee (EPMC) mechanism for natural gas, facilitating spot procurement to maximize domestic production capabilities. This domestic push has been coupled with structurally planned imports distributed strategically throughout the calendar year.
State Responsibility and Strict Monitoring Against Malpractices
While the Central Government remains fully committed to ensuring adequate bulk supply at the state level, it is emphasized that the responsibility for smooth, equitable retail distribution lies with the State Governments. The States must optimize their inter-district and intra-district supply mechanisms to prevent localized friction.
To ensure that heavily subsidized Urea reaches its intended agricultural beneficiaries, the Central Government has held multiple high-level reviews. A recent joint Video Conference co-chaired by the Secretary (Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare) and the Secretary (Department of Fertilizers) sensitized state officials to execute strict enforcement measures against hoarding, black marketing, and the illegal diversion of subsidized agricultural Urea to non-agricultural industrial units.
Fertilizer manufacturing and importing companies have also been directed to remain agile and ensure immediate response for any emergent issues in the states. The Government of India, in close coordination with the state authorities, continues to monitor the situation round-the-clock to support the farming community and ensure a highly successful Kharif 2026 season.
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