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Working Group for the formulation of Tenth Five Year Plan (2002-2007).

Fertilisers

Dated December 2001

Composition:

Terms of Reference :

1. To review the status of the industry upto and during the Ninth Plan period, alongwith an analysis of growth in demand, demand-supply gap, raw materials and infrastructural limitations, technological improvements, and impact of policy changes made during the period.
2. To review and suggest measures on the following issues :
   • efficient use of fertilisers;
   • agronomical importance of low analysis fertilisers;
   • deficiencies of soil in nutrients other than NPK;
   • production and use of bio-fertilisers;
   • production of slow-release fertilisers; and
   • declining response ratio of the soil.
3. To assess the region-wise/state-wise demand for the Tenth Plan and in the perspective of 16 years.
4. To benchmark Indian Fertiliser industry against international industry and suggest measures for making domestic industry internationally competitive.
5. To suggest the manner in which to meet the demand, total and region-wise, for fertilisers based on a critical techno-economic analysis of buy-^ versus-make options, strategic reasons and suggest optimum level of indigenous capacity addition, joint ventures with companies located at places having comparatively cheaper feedstock and energy and import of finished fertilisers.
6. To review the present fertiliser pricing policy and suggest modifications, if any, including feedstock policy for making the fertiliser industry compatible with WTO provisions, attractive for DPI and gradual elimination of subsidy.
7. To assess the requirement of various inputs and infrastructural facilities during the next five years and in the perspective of 15 years, their existing capacity and areas that need strengthening, together with a review of the important issues connected with each of them.
8. To assess the extent of sickness in the fertiliser industry in the public, cooperative and private sectors and suggest measures to tackle this, timeframe in which to do It, investment required and the sources of investment.
9. To assess the investment, year-wise, required to be made by the public sector, cooperative and the private sector fertiliser units in augmentation of capacity, modernisation and upgradation of technology, including for shift-over to gas-based production by the existing naphtha/FO(Fuel Oil)/Low Sulphur Heavy Stock (LSHS) units andthe phasing of this investment.
10. To suggest measures for further promoting the use of bio-fertilisers.
11. To assess the current status of research and development in the fertiliser sector, 'areas of strength and weakness, including industry-institutional linkage for R and D, identify new thrust areas for future R and D and suggest time-bound programmes alongwith fund requirement and means to source them, and also suggest measures for improvement, particularly for industry-institutional linkage.
12. To assess the present status of employment in the fertiliser sector, with break-up of private/cooperative/public sector, likely additional employment generation during the 10^th Plan period and in the perspective of 15 years and suggest measures for further improvement in human resource development.
13. To review the present status of environment-related matters of the fertrifiser industry and to suggest further measures that need to be taken for its improvement during the 10^th Plan period.
14. To review the present status of various taxes/duties, state-wise, on fertilisers/raw materials and suggest measures for their rationalisation.
15. To make any other recommendations that may be considered appropriate for increasing efficiency, reducing cost and import, etc.

The Working Group may co-opt such official or non-official as member of the Group as considered necessary. The Working Group may

The expenditure on TA/DA of official members in connection with the meetings of the Committee will be borne by the parent. Department/Ministry to which the official belongs. The non-official members of the Committee will be entitled to TA/DA as permissible to Grade I officers of the Government of India and this expenditure will be borne by the Planning Commission

The Working Group will submit its report within six months.