Chandigarh: Amidst the ongoing intensified drive against substandard and illegal agricultural inputs as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department has raided two firms in Hoshiarpur district, leading to seizure of banned pesticides and expired stocks.
Disclosing this here on Friday, Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that a special team under the supervision of Joint Director (Extension & Training) Dilbagh Singh conducted surprise check at M/s Janak Raj Narinder Kumar in New Grain Market, Hoshiarpur. The team has found 99 packets (100 grams each) of banned Ammonium Salt of Glyphosate 71% SG, manufactured and marketed by Iprochem Agri Care, Panchkula, Haryana, he said.
The Agriculture Minister further informed that the raid has also led to recovery of large quantities of expired and non-addition pesticides including 20 packs of Pendimethalin (1 litre), 10 packs of Profenophos+Cypermethrin (1 litre), 40 packs of Thiamethoxam (250 gm), five packs of Carbendazim (250 gm), 75 packs of Clodinafop Propargyl (160 gm), 23 packs of Atrazine (500 gm), five packs of Metalaxyl+Mancozeb (250 gm) and 10 packs of Mancozeb (1 litre).
"Samples have been drawn and an FIR has been registered at Police Station Model Town, Hoshiarpur under the relevant sections of Insecticides Act, 1968 and Rules, 1971," said S. Khudian.
In another action, S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian said the team has also inspected M/s Vij Traders in the same market where they collected two each samples of pesticides, fertilizers and seeds. "The sale of pesticides and seeds has been stopped immediately as the firm was operating without proper license endorsements under relevant Acts," the Minister added.
Meanwhile, the Agriculture Minister urged farmers to purchase agricultural inputs only from authorised dealers and take bill of purchased products.
Dr. Basant Garg, Administrative Secretary (Agriculture), stated that the necessary directions were given to all Chief Agriculture Officers of the State to keep regular check on Agri-inputs dealers/manufacturing/marketing companies to ensure quality products to farmers.