Over 2,000 bags of subsidised agri-grade urea seized in Yamunanagar
Yamunanagar, April 7
A joint team of the Fertiliser Flying Squad of the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers and the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has seized another illegal consignment of 2,105 bags of subsidised agriculture-grade urea in the district.
The illegal consignment was recovered from a godown situated in Telipura village of the district.
“The urea bags have been handed over to the police as the godown owner failed to produce the bill and other required documents,” said Harish Pandey, subject matter specialist (Agro), Agriculture Department, Yamunanagar.
According to information, the joint team had also recovered an illegal consignment of 2,784 bags of subsidised agriculture-grade urea from a building situated close to Raipur village of the district on April 1.
Despite strictness by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, the diversion of subsidised agriculture-grade urea for use as technical-grade urea allegedly continues unabated in the district.
As per the Agriculture Department data, neem oil content was found in the report of 13 samples of suspected urea taken from plywood factories of the district during the past one year (April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023).
“The neem oil content is found only in the agriculture-grade urea. The industry, including plywood factories, can use only technical-grade urea. The urea samples found in the plywood factories have shown the presence of neem oil content, confirming the presence of subsidised agriculture-grade urea in the bags of technical-grade urea,” said a source.
Notably, several plywood factories of the district allegedly use agriculture-grade urea illegally to prepare glue (an adhesive).
The cost of a 45-kg urea bag is Rs 266, while that of technical-grade urea is between Rs 2,500-Rs 3,000 per 50-kg bag.
“We regularly take urea samples from plywood factories, fertiliser dealers and wholesalers and take action against their owners on the basis of the reports,” said Rakesh Poria, subject matter specialist (Plant protection) of Agriculture Department, Yamunanagar.
