New Delhi: Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPM) on December 13 castigated the government for deciding to close down at least 11 fertiliser units in Eastern India, saying it would "create havoc" in the agriculture sector in that part of the country by leading to hike in fertiliser prices and rendering thousands jobless.

Stating that an all-party delegation had met Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on the issue a few days ago, CPM leader Somnath Chatterjee said even Vajpayee had agreed it was "essential that every state should have at least one fertiliser plant each".

"This decision to close down the units in West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Jharkhand is totally arbitrary and not at all justified economically or commercially," he told reporters.

Government had on December 12 ruled out any rethinking on closure of loss-making Hindustan Fertiliser and Fertiliser Corporation units in the Eastern sector, prompting Left parties and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) members to stage a walkout in Rajya Sabha.

Stating that a critical situation would develop in the near future in the entire Eastern sector, he said apart from the hike in fertiliser prices, the entire burden of freight charges for transporting urea and fertiliser from other parts of the country would also have to be borne by farmers and ultimately the consumer.

Chatterjee said the Opposition parties would jointly raise the matter again in both Houses of Parliament.

PTI