FARMERS ALLEGE
hush up
Srinagar,
July 15
Farmers have
alleged the Agriculture Department of hushing up the case of 2600 metric tons
of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) fertilizer, which were earlier held up and
declared as substandard by the department after testing its sample in two state
labs of Jammu and Srinagar.
The DAP was
supplied by the fertilizer giant Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited
(IFFCO) to the Valley in March. Later after testing negative in the state labs
its samples were sent to a out of state lab for verification testing at an
undisclosed place and the department has said they have received the report and
the results are in contrary to the results provided by the state labs.
“Among the
20 samples we have sent outside state for tests 18 show positive results that
means they are not substandard,” said deputy director law and enforcement wing
of Agriculture Deoartment MS Katoo.
However,
Jammu and Kashmir Kisan Saba, a peasant’s front has termed the report false and
baseless aimed at hushing up the matter and supplying valley with substandard
fertilizers.
Talking to
Kashmir Reader President Kisan Saba Jammu and Kashmir Showkat Ahmed said, “When
both laboratories of state have termed it substandard how they can send it to
outside state. And if the tests from outside state are correct what for is the
laboratories in the state.”
Ahmed said
that when a normal sample comes in 15 to 19 days why this time it took them
more than a month. It gives a feel that there is something fishy in it, he
alleged.
Accusing the
agriculture department for sabotaging the farmers for their ‘personal desires’,
another member of Kisan Saba Ghulam Nabi Dar said, “The main players at
agriculture department are filling their pockets and are bringing farmers and
fruit growers at stake”.
A member of
fruit growers association from Sopore Ghulam Rasool Mir said, “We have been the
worst victims of substandard fertilizers as the department does not keep the
proper check. There are some agencies who want to give a serious jolt to our
agro industries by promoting substandard fertilizers but department is not
taking its duty seriously to stop it.”
When asked
whether this is green signal for the release of seized fertilizers Deputy
Director Katoo of the Agriculture Department said if the results are positive
department cannot stop it.
He added
that a test done in Srinagar and Jammu has revealed a substandard nature of the
supply which was later send outside state from Jammu.
However, he
said that the final decision will be taken by the Director Agriculture, Farooq
Ahmad Lone. When contacted Lone said the control of fertilizers comes under the
jurisdiction of Director Agriculture Jammu who collects the samples after they
enter the state via Lakhanpore or railway station Jammu, so it is his
prerogative and he knows the best about it. Despite repeated attempts the
Director Agriculture Jammu Ajay Khajuria did not receive the phone call on his
mobile and his office told Kashmir Reader that he has went out for a meeting.
Earlier when
the story was published by Kashmir Reader, a member of Kashmir Apex Agriculture
Cooperative Supply and Marketing Society Ltd, Nowgam, an authorized distributor
of IFFCO who has received some of the supplies said, “The percentage is only a
bit low and the company officials were pushing for analytical tests conducted
in their presence, besides also giving an option of lowering the rate of their
seized product. It is some of their rival companies that are trying to malign
the image of the company.”
The seizure
of fertilizer was carried out in March this year when consignments of
substandard DAP fertilizers where reported to have reached Valley, with the law
enforcement wing of Agriculture Department seizing it at various store houses.
The valley
on an average consumes 80,000 MT of DAP that are sourced from different
companies. DAP is used both in agricultural and horticulture crops for it
supplying the crops with Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium nutrients.
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