Now it's 'fertilizer syndicate' here, how will farmers be helped?

Guwahati, April 16: An active syndicate seemed to have sprung up in the State agriculture department which is supplying dubious and low-quality fertilizers to farmers in the State, a complaint regarding which has been lodged by Jorhat MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa to the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers as well as to the State Chief Secretary.

In his letter, Tasa has said that he has been receiving complaints from various stakeholders that some fertilizer manufacturers are supplying poor-quality fertilizers in the State, thereby causing huge loss to the farmers here. Tasa says he has also learnt some officials with “unholy alliance with dubious suppliers” on the plea of maketing tie-ups with urea, DAP and MOP manufacturers have “in fact allotted urea/DAP/MOP to dealers against lifting of dubious fertilizers, more particularly in the case of single super phosphate, zinc, growth promoters, soil enhancers etc”.

The BJP MP has requested the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers to initiate a thorough inquiry into the matter and take stringent measures to bring the errant officials and individuals to book.

It has been alleged that a section of officials of the Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited (BVFCL), State agriculture department and a local fertilizer entrepreneur are in cahoots to supply low-quality fertilizers to farmers in the State. The MP has also referred to “various circulars in this context from the ministry wherein it has been stipulated to issue quality certificate” from the agriculture department concerned after testing the material at their end. Guidelines of the relevant circulars have not been fully adhered, he says in his letter.

Given the gravity of the Jorhat MP’s letter that points to the suffering of farmers in the State as they have become fallen prey to an active fertilizer syndicate, is it not incumbent on State Agiculture Minister Atul Bora to initiate a serious and sincere process of investigation so that the guilty are nabbed before further damage is done to farmers who have just agriculture to fall back on for their sustenance?