Centre files 30 FIRs over diversion of fertilisers

To curb the diversion of subsidised fertilisers, the Centre on Tuesday said it has conducted a surprise inspection of 370 plants in the last six months, cancelled licences of 112 violating manufacturing units and registered 30 FIRs.

Crisis

“There is a fertiliser crisis in the world. In such a situation, a subsidy of Rs 2,000-2500 per bag is being given to farmers in our country. Strict action will be taken against those engaged in diversion, be it distributors or users or outlets,” Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya told reporters.

The Fertiliser Flying Squads have conducted over 370 surprise inspections across 15 states/UTs, which included mixture units, Single Superphosphate (SSP) units and NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) units, the minister said.

A total of 30 FIRs have been registered for the diversion of urea and 70,000 bags have been seized of suspected urea (from Gujarat, Kerala, Haryana, Rajasthan and Karnataka (excl. GSTN seizure).

Out of these, 26,199 bags have been disposed of as per FCO guidelines. The flying squads have also inspected three border districts of Bihar (Araria, Purnia, W.Champaran) and 3 FIRs have been filed against urea diverting units; 10, including 3 mixture manufacturing units in border districts, have been de-authorized, the minister said.

The inspection was conducted in 220 mixture fertiliser units, 130 urea units, 15 SSP fertiliser units and 5 exporters. As many as 112 mixture manufacturers have been deauthorized due to several discrepancies and lapses found in documentation and procedures.

Sample testing has also been ramped up, with 268 samples tested as of now, of which 89 (33%) have been declared sub-standard and 120 (45%) found with neem oil content, the minister said.

For the first time, 11 people have been jailed under the Prevention of Blackmarketing and Maintenance of Supplies (PBM) Act for the diversion and black marketing of urea in the last year.

Several other legal and administrative proceedings have also been exercised by states through the Essential Commodities (EC) Act and Fertiliser Control Order (FCO),” the minister said.

The maximum number of fertiliser units were inspected in Gujarat (92), followed by Kerala (54), Tamil Nadu (40) and Karnataka (39) during the last six months, the data showed.

About 268 samples were taken from these units, out of which 120 samples contained subsidised urea, 89 samples were sub-standard and a result of 59 samples are awaited, he said.