Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Agriculture Department has cancelled the licenses of six retail shops for black marketing and hoarding of fertilisers. Four shops in Bargarh and two in Padampur have been suspended for violating the Fertiliser Control Order (FCO) rules.
The department intensified enforcement activities after reports of hoarding and black marketing of fertilisers were published in the media. Agriculture Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo had directed the department to take stringent action against dealers, retailers, and private traders creating artificial shortages to jack up prices.
The government aims to ensure the availability of proper quality fertilisers at fixed prices, at the right place, and at the right time. To achieve this, enforcement squads have been formed at both district and block levels to check black marketing, hoarding, and the sale of spurious fertilisers.
The minister emphasised that protecting the interests of farmers is the prime objective of the government. Surprise checks and verification of fertiliser retailer and wholesaler points are being conducted across the state to prevent any type of illegal activities.
