The Government today assured that the seeds of all types of crops are sufficiently available in the country amid the West Asia Conflict. Addressing the Inter Ministerial Meeting on Recent Developments in West Asia in New Delhi, Additional Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Dr Maninder Kaur Dwivedi, informed that over 185 lakh quintals of Kharif crop seeds are available across the country. She also said that 46% of fertilizers already available as the opening stock for the current Kharif season. The Additional Secretary further said that a sufficient quantity of agrochemicals is also available in the country. Dr Kaur said that the states have also been asked to encourage biopesticides and other sustainable methods. She said that the prices of the top crops, including tomato, onion, and potato, are in the range with an improving trend at the wholesale level.
Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Asangba Chuba Ao, informed that the aviation industry has welcomed the Government’s decision to implement a limited increase of 25% on aviation turbine fuel prices for domestic schedule carriers on domestic routes. He added that this measure provides critical relief as global energy markets face unprecedented surges due to the disruptions in West Asia. He said, ” This intervention will ensure that the domestic operational costs of Indian carriers remain manageable.
Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Sujata Sharma, said that country’s crude inventory is currently sufficient. She said that the Government has made arrangements to ensure an adequate crude supply for the next two months. The Joint Secretary also informed that the country’s refineries are operating at optimal capacity, and no instances of fuel shortages have been reported at retail outlets. She noted that to shield domestic consumers from international price volatility, the Government has reduced excise duty on petrol and diesel so that consumers are protected and prices do not rise.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the Indian Embassy in Tehran has so far assisted 1,171 Indians in their movement. This includes 818 students who exited Iran via land borders into Armenia and Azerbaijan and are returning to India by air. He said that out of these, 977 have crossed over into Armenia and 194 into Azerbaijan.
