Urea black-marketers have posed a challenge for the Bargarh district administration.
While the Agriculture department has been providing urea fertilizer to the PACS (Primary Agriculture Co-operative Society), the same goes to black markets, alleged the farmers. As a result, while there is artificial scarcity of urea in the district, the farmers have to fall back on black marketers and buy the fertiliser at exorbitant prices.
The Lakhamara PACS under Paikmal Block, Lakhanpur PACS under Ambavona Block and Kansingh PACS under Padampur Block have been blacklisted by the district Agriculture department, for irregularities in supply of urea.
More than 5,000 Metric Tonne of fertilizer is required in Bargarh district in the ongoing farming season but the Government is unable to supply urea of required quantity in the district. The farmers were purchasing at Rs 600 per quintal instead of Rs 266.50 as prescribed by the Government.
More than 665 packets of urea fertiliser were seized by farmers from a black marketer at Bijepur recently. The seized fertilizer was later deposited at the Agriculture office. However, the culprit was yet to be brought to book.
More than 57 fertilizer merchants have been given licence in the district to sell urea but the fertilizer is sold in many outlets in the district.
