Assam: Licenses Seized, Around 1200 Traders Suspended For Black Marketing of Urea
GUWAHATI : The Assam government has taken action against urea traders recently. It has come to notice that the traders are not following the rules while collecting and keeping the fertilizers from the government. Over 1200 traders were recognized for the misdeed.
Agriculture Minister, Atul Bora revealed that some of the traders are involved in black marketing and have also generated false shortage of the fertilizers. The administration is keenly looking into this matter. They are monitoring the actions of the urea traders. He said that several inquiries were done on the basis of this allegation. Many dealers and traders were questioned by the department.
''During our investigation, it has come to our notice that many urea traders do not lift their quota from the government distribution point, while few of them who already has their stocks fueled up continue to pick their quota", Atul Bora said in a press meet.
The traders manipulate the price of the urea in the market and also fakes the quantity of the same. Atul Bora also mentioned that three wholesale dealers were interrogated and their licenses were seized by the department. A huge number of 1,272 traders have also been suspended for the same matter.
The government is trying to build a transparent coordination between the department, traders and farmers to avoid any kind of forgery and further mislead the government.
The Assam Cabinet in May, has also laid down standard operating procedures for the distribution of fertilizers. This is especially for the Urea, which comes under the Essential Commodities Act, 1956. The government wants to prevent any sort of mismanagement and also avoid acts like black marketing.
Along with this, the authorities are able to monitor the matter in a more effective way with the introduction of the Point of Sale device for the urea traders.
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