Chandigarh, July 29, 2024 (Yes Punjab News)
Tightening the noose around spurious fertiliser and pesticide dealers in the state on the directions of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department on Monday seized a large stock of unauthorised pesticides at Jhanduke village in Mansa district.
Disclosing this, Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian informed that under the Quality Control drive, a team, led by Chief Agriculture Officer, Mansa, raided on M/s Dandiwal Beej Bhandar, Jhanduke and seized a total of 8.82 quintals of powder form pesticides and 29 litres of liquid pesticides worth over Rs. 6 lakh.
The seized stock of unauthorised pesticides belongs to M/s Woodland Crop Science, Marsh Fertichem Ltd (Marketing) and Modern Crop Science, Canesea Crop Chemical Pvt. Ltd. and Cropwell Agro Industries Pvt Ltd (Manufacturing companies).
The Agriculture Minister said that a total of 6 samples of different pesticides have also been drawn as per the Insecticides Act 1968 & Rules 1971 and the department has also initiated the process to lodge an FIR in this matter.
Notably, the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department has recently cancelled the licences of two fertiliser companies for supplying substandard Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) to the cooperative societies in the state.
S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that the Agriculture department has launched a Quality Control drive across the state and set a target of testing 4500 pesticides samples during FY 2024-25. As many as 1009 samples have been collected and 18 found misbranded so far.
The Agriculture Minister further said that the sampling of fertilisers and pesticides is being done continuously in the districts. The Agriculture department seized 1200 litres of pesticides from Bathinda on July 18, 2024.
The seized stock of pesticides was manufactured by M/s Woodland Agritec India (HR), Kaithal to be delivered in the village of Bathinda without obtaining the required licence for the sale of pesticides in the State and an FIR has already been lodged against the responsible persons in this case.
S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian directed all the Chief Agriculture Officers to ensure appropriate action on priority basis if they receive any complaint regarding substandard/spurious fertilisers or any other agricultural products. Negligence will not be tolerated at any cost, he warned.
