New system causes problem for fertilizer sales in Tripura

From A Correspondent

Agartala, June 1: The new policy adopted by the centre for sale and purchase of fertilizer has caused serious problem in Tripura as most of the fertilizer dealers and government stores sales fertilizer don’t have necessary infrastructure.

The new system adopted by the Ministry of Fertilizer and Chemicals came to effect from June 1, made AADHAR card and finger print must for purchase of fertilizers.  

The biggest problem is that the Point of Sale machine requires for complying the new system has not yet reached 80 per cent of the dealers and government stores (VLW centers) without which implementation of the new system is impossible.

The process of imparting training and supply of POS machines was started about six months ago but only few of them has, so far, got the POS machines.

There are 380 VLW centers in Tripura out of which about 30 only got the much needed POS machine while out of 600 government licensed fertilizer dealers and retailers only 125 has got the POS machine.

The situation has reached into such a point that sale and purchase of fertilizer is going to be halted in most of the areas of the state which will cause a serious problem for the farmers.

The import of fertilizer from outside the state also will suffer as no fertilizer factory will supply fertilizer to the dealers if it is not sold following the instructions of the ministry as in that case they will not get the subsidy.  The Ministry of Fertilizer and Chemicals has adopted this new system to stop black marketing and wastage of fertilized for which the centre is giving subsidy at the tune of lacks of crores every year. Even huge quantity of fertilizers was used to be black marketed in the neighboring country too.