Investigation blows the lid off another scam

Adulterated  fertilizers flooding Assam market

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, April 18: The investigation into BJP MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasha’s recent allegation of adulterated fertilizers being sold in Assam has blown the lid off something else that ‘there are firms selling fertilizers in the State allegedly without having to obtain any permission’.

Metaphorically speaking, the investigation is set to open a can of worms for those at the helm of affairs in the State and fertilizer firms which sell their products in Assam – with or without permission.  

The allegation from the BJP MP was that adulterated SSP is being sold in Assam in large quantities, duping the farmers of the State. However, more has come to light that there are firms that sell fertilizers in Assam without even taking the mandatory permission from the State Agriculture Department. Khetan Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd, according to allegations, has been selling SSP, along with urea in Assam from its units that have no permission for selling their products to Assam. From April 2017 to March 2018, the fertilizer company has sold 1,949 MT of fertilizers from its Jhansi unit, 3,121 MT from its Gujarat unit and 5,196 MT from its Rajasthan unit in Assam. None of these Khetan Fertilizers and Chemicals’ units has permission to sell its products in Assam. Surprisingly, the Chhatishgarh unit of this company has permission to sell products in the State, but it refrained from selling any products to the State. How come the State Agriculture Department ascertains the quality of products of a fertilizer company that has no permission to sell its products in the State when detection of such illegal selling should have been dealt with, in the first place?