Sangrur, February 26: Eight firm owners have been booked for allegedly selling fertilisers of sub-standard quality on the complaint of the Sangrur agriculture department.Samples from the firms were taken around three years ago, but the mandatory process was completed last week and finally FIRs were lodged last night.
According to information, after getting complaints of sale of sub-standard fertilisers in different parts of the district from farmers, agriculture department teams had collected samples of fertilisers from various firms around three years ago.
During testing of samples in both state agriculture labs at Faridkot and Ludhiana, all eight samples could not pass the test.“However, firms demanded retesting and samples were sent to Fertiliser Control Laboratory, Villupuran (Tamil Nadu).
Samples failed the retest too. After getting final reports of re-testing, we wrote to the Sangrur SSP this week for the registration of cases against eight firms for selling sub-standard fertilisers,” said Dr Amarjit Singh, Agriculture Development Officer (ADO), Sangrur. The cases were registered under the Fertiliser Control Order, 1985.
No arrest was made till the filing of the report.“The SHOs have started investigations and I have directed them to start immediate raids to arrest the accused,” said Sangrur SSP Mandeep Sidhu.
BKU Ugraha Lehragaga block president Dharminder Pashore alleged that many shopkeepers were selling spurious fertilisers.
“The state government must take strict action as the sale of spurious fertilisers is still going on,” he alleged.
Source Tribune India
