In 6 yrs, 423 fertiliser samples fail quality test in Haryana; 37 penalised

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Chandigarh, March 19

There is a rise in fertiliser samples failing quality tests in Haryana in the past three years.

In 2019-20, 80 samples out of 2,494 (3.2%) were found substandard or misbranded and in 2020-21, the number rose to 88 samples out of 2,477 (3.6%).

In 2021-22, till date, 125 samples have been found substandard out of 2,404 taken for testing (5.2%).

In the past six years — from 2016-17 to 2021-22 (till date) — a total of 423 samples of fertilisers failed quality test and 37 persons or firms were sentenced to pay fine.

The state submitted these facts in a reply to an unstarred question by Congress MLA Jagbir Singh Malik.

In the case of pesticides, Agriculture Minister JP Dalal submitted that a total of 431 samples failed quality test in the past six years in the state and 46 persons or firms were sentenced to pay fine. In 2019-20, 139 samples out of 2,078 (6.7 per cent) were found substandard or misbranded while in 2020-21, the number was 119 out of 2,146 (5.5%). In 2021-22, till date, 66 samples failed the test out of 1,976 (3.3%).

In the past six years, 152 samples of seeds failed the quality test while 13 persons or firms were sentenced to fine. The number was 40 samples out of 2,867 (1.4%) in 2019-20, 28 samples out of 2,670 (1%) in 2020-21 and 13 samples out of 3,218 (0.4%) in 2021-22 till date.

MLA Jagbir Singh Malik said, “If we see the data provided, the sample target has not been achieved. In the case of fertilisers for 2021-22, the sample target was 3,825 but only 2,404 samples were taken. In the case of pesticides, the target was 2,625 but only 1,976 samples were lifted and in the case of seeds, the target was 3,810 but only 3,218 samples were taken.”

In the past six years, a total of 1,006 samples of fertilisers, pesticides, and seeds failed quality tests. However, none was sentenced to imprisonment, but only 96 persons or firms were sentenced with fine. “This is not even 10%. How come people in 90 per cent of cases escaped? What was the government doing?” said Malik.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister JP Dalal couldn’t be contacted for comments.