Govt is making all efforts to improve the availability of fertilizers & medicines

New Delhi: Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers DV Sadananda Gowda has said that to tide over challenges arising due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, his ministry is taking all necessary steps to ensure an adequate supply of medicines, fertilizers and disinfectant chemicals.

In a tweet, Gowda said, he held discussions with Secretaries and other senior officers of all the three departments of his Ministry, Department of Fertilizers, Pharma and Chemical & Petrochemicals to frame out strategies to improve the availability of fertilizer to farmers, medicines to general public & health services and chemicals as disinfectants to curb the outbreak of Coronavirus.

2day I held discussion separately with all 3 departmental Secys &sr officers of my Ministry—D/oFertilisers,D/oPharma& D/oChem&Petrochem. Discussed strategies 2 improve availability of essential items-fertiliser to farmers, medicines to ppl &chemicals for disinfectants in lockdown pic.twitter.com/7l5lvA1HI2

— Sadananda Gowda (@DVSadanandGowda) April 20, 2020

In the meeting, Gowda also asked the officers to maintain close coordination within themselves and with other concerned Ministries as well, so that supply of essential items are done without any hindrance, said a press release from the Ministry of Fertilizers on Tuesday.

Recently, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya also interacted with officials of the Department of Chemicals & Fertilizers through a video conference. The meeting was intended to cater to the issues related to the chemicals and petrochemical industry at the time of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak. Mandaviya had said in a tweet, India "truly believes that the world is a family and fosters the idea of brotherhood."

The Ministry has said that fertilizer companies are already working with full capacity to supply adequate quantity of fertilizers to the farming community for upcoming Kharif season. Pharma sector is also putting in all its effort to produce essential drugs in sufficient quantities including hydroxychloroquine. India is one of the world's largest manufacturers of hydroxychloroquine and apart from fulfilling domestic demand, it is also exporting the surplus medicine to foreign countries. Production and supply of essential chemicals used as disinfectants are also satisfactory.