Panel Urges Adequate Fertiliser Subsidy Allocation; ICRIER Recommends Direct Cash Transfers and Import Diversification

A parliamentary panel has urged the Finance Ministry to allocate sufficient fertiliser subsidy funds at the budget estimate stage to avoid operational disruptions. Meanwhile, an ICRIER research paper recommends using the West Asia conflict as an opportunity to implement reforms such as direct cash transfers of fertiliser subsidies to farmers, promoting balanced nutrient use and reducing fiscal pressure. The study also emphasizes diversifying import sources to reduce dependence on geopolitically volatile regions and suggests short-term measures like quantitative sales restrictions based on farm data.