Raid exposes fertiliser smuggling racket near Nepal border
As many as 162 sacks of different fertilisers seized from the basement of a building near the Nepal border in UP’s Shravasti
LUCKNOW A major hoarding and smuggling racket involved in supplying fertiliser to Nepal has surfaced after the seizure of a huge stock of fertilisers, particularly DAP (diammonium phosphate) and NPK (nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium), from the basement of a building near the Nepal border in UP’s Shravasti on Wednesday, said officials.
Amid fertiliser crisis in UP, the seizure included around 162 sacks of different fertilisers - 80 sacks of DAP, 50 sacks of urea, six sacks of Sulphur, eight sacks of high zinc, 13 sacks of mono zinc and five sacks of bio-DAP and other agriculture material.
A raid was carried out at fertiliser sale centres near the Nepal border by a team led by Shravasti district magistrate AK Dwivedi and SP Ghanshyam Chaurasiya on Wednesday. The DM issued notices to district agriculture afficer (DAO) AP Mishra and additional DAO for negligence in checking this illegal practice and recommended suspension of the officers.
The seized stock was of Sahil Traders fertiliser sales centre registered at Bechua market, but it was found from the basement of the building located at Taal Baghola market of Sirsiya area, which is merely 2 km from the Nepal border. The centre owner Sabir Ali was arrested after the seizure of stock and registration of FIR under appropriate sections for violation of norms and illegally hoarding fertilisers, said the SP.
The Shravasti DM confirmed that a notice has been issued to district agriculture officer and his suspension recommended to the state government for negligence in checking the illegal practice.
As per norms of Indian government, fertilisers cannot be stored at a place within 5 km of Nepal. Investigation revealed that people smuggle fertilisers into Nepal from nearby centres for more profits as prices in India are much lower than neighboring countries like Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan, said an agriculture department official.
A police official explained there are several narrow routes to Nepal and people involved in fertiliser smuggling often use bicycles to ferry sacks to Nepal without coming on the radar of Sashashtra Seema Bal (SSB) guarding the porous India-Nepal border.
UP agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi, however, denied any shortage of fertilisers in the state in an interview to HT even as a huge rush of farmers was witnessed at cooperative societies and fertiliser sale centres in various districts.
Shahi said farmers are assembling at sale centres due to panic. The sowing of Rabi crop will continue till January 15 and farmers will get supply regularly. People should visit the centres only when they need fertilisers, he added.
Nutrition material also found in godown
A police official confirmed that a huge stock of nutrition material of Integrated Child Development Services meant for underprivileged children and pregnant women was also found from the godown of the fertiliser sales centre.
He said 138 packets of refined oil, 176 packets of chickpea lentil, 104 packets of wheat porridge, 50 packets of one kg wheat porridge were recovered from the godown.
He said it is yet to be ascertained how the accused procured this material.