Odisha to Crack Down on Diversion of Fertilizers

Bhubaneswar, Jan 28 (IANS) The Odisha government Wednesday decided to crack down on the diversion of subsidised fertilizer for industrial purposes and black marketing in the state.

Agriculture department additional secretary Purushottam Sahoo directed officials of the Directorate of Agriculture and Food Production to take the necessary steps.

"Take necessary steps at your end to issue instruction to all enforcement agencies under your jurisdiction to take necessary steps under Fertiliser Control Order, 1985 for preventing hoarding, black marketing, breach of MRP and diversion of subsidized urea for industrial and non-agricultural purpose," Sahoo told the officials .

The move came following a direction from union Chemical and Fertiliser Secretary J.K. Mohapatra to curb the diversion of fertilizers such as urea for industrial use and prevent their black marketing and smuggling.

"Often there are complaints of diversion of subsidised fertilizers for industrial, non-agricultural uses," Mohapatra said in a letter to Odisha Chief Secretary G.C. Pati.

"Diversion of subsidised fertilizers may curtail supplies for bonafide agricultural uses thereby adversely affecting our agricultural productivity. Such diversion also entails wrongful loss to the exchequer," he said.

Since urea is highly subsidised for agricultural use, cheap availability could possibly led to black marketing, hoarding and smuggling of the fertilizer, which also has various industrial and commercial applications.