The raid will expose fertilizer smuggling near the border with Nepal

LUCKNOW Following the seizure of huge stocks of fertilizers, particularly DAP (diammonium phosphate) and NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) from the basement of a building near Nepal, a major activity of hoarding and smuggling of fertilizers to the Nepalese border in Shravasti UP has come to light, officials said .

Due to the fertilizer crisis in UP, around 162 bags of various fertilizers were confiscated – 80 bags of DAP, 50 bags of urea, six bags of sulfur, eight bags of high zinc content, 13 bags of monozinc and five bags of bio-DAP and other agricultural material.

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

The seized stocks came from a Sahil Traders fertilizer sales center registered in the Bechua market but were found in the basement of a building located in the Taal Baghola market in the Sirsiya area, just 2 km from the border with Nepal. The center’s owner, Sabir Ali, was arrested after seizing the supplies and registering an FIR under relevant sections for violating norms and illegally stockpiling fertilizers, the SP said.

DM Shravasti confirmed that a notice has been issued to the district agriculture officer and the state government has been advised to suspend him due to negligence in checking illegal practices.

As per Indian government norms, fertilizers cannot be stored within 5 km of Nepal. Investigation revealed that people smuggle fertilizers into Nepal from nearby centers to make more profits as prices in India are much lower than neighboring countries like Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan, an agriculture department official said.

A police officer explained that there are several narrow routes into Nepal and fertilizer smugglers often carry the bags into Nepal on bicycles, without noticing the Sashashtra Seema Bal (SSB) radar guarding the porous India-Nepal border.

UP Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, however, denied any shortage of fertilizers in the state in an interview to HT, even as a huge influx of farmers was seen at cooperative societies and fertilizer sales centers in various districts.

Shahi said farmers are flocking to sales centers due to panic. Rabi grain sowing will continue till January 15 and farmers will receive regular supplies. He added that people should visit the centers only when they need fertilizers.

Nutrient material is also present in the breeding shed

A police official confirmed that a huge stock of Integrated Child Development Services nutrition materials intended for underprivileged children and pregnant women was also found in the inventory of the fertilizer sales center.

He said that 138 packages of refined oil, 176 packages of chickpea lentils, 104 packages of wheat groats and 50 packages of one-kilogram wheat groats were recovered from the goods.

He added that it is not yet known how the accused obtained this material.