Facing opposition allegations of scarcity of urea fertiliser across the state, the Agriculture department carried out raids on black marketeers and took action against around 250 traders dealing with urea and other farm related contraptions.
Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi said here on Friday the two-day drive was carried out in 18 zones across the state under which raids were conducted against 3,119 traders and 653 samples were collected.
“During the raids, licences of 158 urea traders were suspended and 15 others were cancelled. Warning was issued to 94 traders and sale of urea in 15 business houses was stopped. Six other shops were sealed. FIR has also been lodged against two traders,” the agriculture minister said in a statement issued here on Friday.
He said that there was no paucity of urea and the farmers should not go for panic buying as there was no need to stock urea. He said the farmers would be extended all possible help.
“Directions have been issued to officials to take action against those who are hoarding urea against the government norms. The government has a zero tolerance policy towards corruption and is working on it,” Shahi said.
The minister claimed that the government had a stock of two lakh metric tonnes of urea in the cooperative sector and had a provision to allocate additional 50 per cent urea where the demand was more.
Earlier this week, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had expressed concern over the shortage and rampant black-marketing of urea fertilisers across Uttar Pradesh.
“Farmers are upset due to shortage of urea in many places of UP. There are long queues as urea has been exhausted in most cooperative societies. The farmer is troubled by black-marketing. The UP government should immediately intervene and solve the problem of urea shortage,” the Congress leader had tweeted on Wednesday morning.