Garhwal Post Bureau
Rudrapur, 1 Apr: The district administration in Udham Singh Nagar has launched a large-scale operation to curb black marketing of chemical fertilisers like urea and ensure their smooth supply to the farmers.
Acting on the directions of District Magistrate Nitin Singh Bhadauria, the Agriculture Department carried out raids across the district, verifying cooperative societies and private fertiliser shops, where several irregularities were detected.
Chief Agriculture Officer (CAO) VK Yadav informed the media that raids were conducted on 28 fertiliser shops during the past 24 hours. During inspection, violations of rules were found at multiple outlets, leading to strict action. A case has been registered under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 against Vaibhav Arora, proprietor of M/s Ajanta Fertiliser, Galla Mandi, Rudrapur.
Two fertiliser licences have been suspended, including those of M/s Ajanta Fertiliser, Rudrapur and Bazpur Pratham Kisan Seva Sahkari Samiti Limited, Bazpur. Additionally, four other dealers have been served show-cause notices.
To ensure transparency, the agriculture department has made it mandatory for farmers to present their Aadhaar card and land records before purchasing urea. No farmer will be allowed to buy more than five bags without prior approval from the CAO, which can be obtained through mobile communication. Dealers have also been instructed to record every sale in registers, including the farmer’s name, address, mobile number, land details and acreage. The farmers cultivating on leased or contracted land would be required to produce relevant documents in order to purchase urea and other chemical fertilisers.
The administration has further clarified that urea will not be sold to farmers from outside the district, and any violation will be treated as black marketing, inviting action under the Essential Commodities Act. Dealers have also been warned against forcing farmers to buy additional products along with Urea, DAP or NPK, failing which their sales may be banned.
The CAO has further appealed to the farmers to purchase fertilisers strictly according to their actual requirement and not fall prey to any misleading practices. The campaign, he emphasised, is aimed at safeguarding farmers’ interests and ensuring fair availability of fertilisers across the district.
