Wholesalers and retailers were selling urea at roughly Rs 350 to Rs 450 per bag, compared to the government's allowed rate of Rs 266 per bag.
Digital Desk: Police Officials stated that the Assam Police's CID busted a big fertilizer scam in the state and detained nine persons, including owners of various retail and wholesale establishments and hoarders.
According to a police official, the CID had previously registered a criminal case and conducted raids at several locations in Morigaon, Kamrup, Darrang, Cachar, Goalpara, and Darrang districts on the orders of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Reportedly, eight of the nine suspects arrested so far are owners of various retail and wholesale shops that were selling urea at a significantly higher price than the government-mandated amount. Some of the stocks were found hoarded and diverted to intermediaries and merchants.
Reportedly, the owner of a truck that was used to transport the diverted fertilizer has also been arrested.
All nine suspects are being held in CID custody for further questioning.
According to the official, wholesalers and retailers were selling urea at roughly Rs 350 to Rs 450 per bag, compared to the government's allowed rate of Rs 266 per bag.
As per the government rules, these retailers are required to sell urea only to farmers in their village panchayats; however, they have been selling to people outside of their regulatory authority and also to people who are not farmers, resulting in ineligible persons purchasing the urea for the purpose of hoarding and diverting stocks, while genuine farmers in the area are deprived.
The CID has organized multiple teams to conduct urea stock searches and verifications in various parts of the state, as per police reports.
Despite the presence of the Union Ministry of Fertilizers and Chemicals' Integrated Fertilizer Management System (IFMS) portal for keeping the database of purchase, distribution, and sale of urea, wholesalers and retailers were not updating records on fertilizer trading.
District Agriculture Officers are expected to oversee data entry and sample verification, but they have failed to do so, allowing the scam to go unchecked, the official said.
Further, he added that police are investigating the role of Agriculture Department officials in the scam.
Leave A Comment