New Delhi, June 14 (IANS) The government Thursday deferred a proposal to hike the retail price of urea by 10 percent for this financial year.
The hike was proposed by the fertiliser ministry to reduce the subsidy burden, limiting the excessive use of the soil nutrient in the country compared to phosphatic and potassic fertilisers. In 2011-12, urea is estimated to have contributed Rs.24,500 crore to the fertiliser subsidy bill.
"It (the proposal) has gone back to the ministry. They have to take a second look," Home Minister P. Chidambaram told reporters after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs.
Urea price at present is fully controlled. It was last revised in April 2010 from Rs.4,830 per tonne to the current level of Rs.5,310 a tonne.
Earlier, an empowered group of minister had approved deregulating the key fertiliser.
