Punjab Agriculture Dept Forms 4 Teams To Check Illegal Tagging Of Products With Fertilisers
Punjab Agriculture Minister emphasised that legal action would be taken against any individual who attempts to coerce farmers into buying additional products along with fertilisers.
Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department on Thursday, September 19, constituted four teams to check the practice of boosting sale of products by illegally tagging them with fertilisers. The teams will be overseen by officers at the Joint Director level.
The decision was taken by Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian after a meeting with the Majha Kissan Sangarsh Committee at his Chandigarh office. The teams have been tasked with tackling this illegal practice. MD Sugarfed Ms Senu Duggal, Director Agriculture Mr Jaswant Singh and other senior officials of the department were also present in the meeting.
He also assured the Majha Kissan Sangarsh Committee delegation, led by president Balwinder Singh, that Punjab has sufficient supply of DAP/NPK/SSP for the upcoming Rabi season as the state was receiving adequate quantities of Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) and other necessary phosphatic fertilisers.
The matter of forecefully tagging of other agricultural products with fertilisers was raised by the farmers' delegation before Khudian. The Agriculture Minister assured that the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann-led government will not tolerate the farmers' expolitation.
He further emphasised that legal action would be taken against any individual who attempts to coerce farmers into buying additional products along with fertilisers.
State Sugar Cane Control Board Meeting On September 27
During the meeting, Special Chief Secretary Agriculture KAP Sinha said that Punjab is planning to sowing wheat over an area of around 35 lakh hectares, for which it will need almost 5.50 lakh metric tonnes of DAP fertiliser.
He also said that he met with the Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers and Union Fertiliser Secretary in August to secure sufficient supply of fertilisers for the farmers in view of the upcoming Rabi season this year.
On demand for an increase in sugarcane prices, Agriculture Minister Khudian said that the state has scheduled a meeting of the State Sugar Cane Control Board on September 27. He added that all mills will commence crushing on schedule.
He also stated that the capacity of the Cooperative Sugar Mill in Batala has been increased from its previous capacity of 1500 TCD to 3500 Ton Crushing per Day (TCD).
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