Raid uncovers fertilizer smuggling racket near Nepal border

LUCKNOW A massive hoarding and smuggling racket related to the supply of fertilizers to Nepal has come to light after a large quantity of fertilizers, especially DAP (diammonium phosphate) and NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium), were seized from the basement of a building near Nepal. The limit was crossed at UP’s Shravasti border on Wednesday, officials said.

Amid the fertilizer crisis in UP, around 162 bags seized included different fertilizers: 80 bags of DAP, 50 bags of urea, 6 bags of Sulfur, 8 bags of high zinc, 13 bags of mono zinc and 5 bags of bio-DAP and other agricultural material.

On Wednesday, fertilizer sales centers near the Nepal border were raided by a team led by Shravasti district magistrate AK Dwivedi and SP Ghanshyam Chaurasiya. The DM issued notice to district agriculture officer (DAO) AP Mishra and additional DAO for negligence in checking this illegal practice and recommended removal of the officers.

The seized stock belonged to Sahil Traders fertilizer sales center registered in Bechua market, but was found from the basement of the building located in Taal Baghola market of Sirsiya district, just 2 km from the Nepal border. The owner of the centre, Sabir Ali, was arrested after the stocks were seized and an FIR was registered with appropriate sections for violation of norms and illegal hoarding of fertilisers, the SP said.

Shravasti DM confirmed that a notice has been sent to the district agriculture officer and his suspension has been recommended to the state government for negligence in checking the illegal practice.

According to Indian government norms, fertilizer cannot be stored within 5 km of Nepal. An agriculture ministry official said the investigation revealed that people were smuggling fertilizer into Nepal from nearby centers to earn more profit as prices in India are much lower than neighboring countries like Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

There are several narrow roads leading to Nepal, and fertilizer smugglers often use bicycles to carry sacks to Nepal without falling under the radar of the Sashashtra Seema Bal (SSB), which guards the porous India-Nepal border, a police official said.

However, UP agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi, in an interview to HT, denied that there is no fertilizer shortage in the state even though a huge influx of farmers has been witnessed in cooperatives and fertilizer sales centers in various districts.

Shahi said farmers gathered at sales centers due to panic. Sowing of rabi crop will continue till January 15 and regular supply will be provided to farmers. He added that people should visit the centers only when they need fertilizer.

Food material is also found in god

A police official confirmed that the warehouse of the fertilizer sales center also has a large stock of nutritional supplies belonging to the Integrated Child Development Services for underprivileged children and pregnant women.

He said that 138 packages of refined oil, 176 packages of chickpea lentils, 104 packages of wheat porridge, and 50 packages of 1 kg wheat porridge were seized from the excavation.

He said it has not yet been determined how the defendant obtained this material.