| Fertilizer dealers of Kathua fleecing farmers, authorities unmoved | | | G S Asgotra
Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 24: The gullible and illiterate farmers are the target of a number of Cooperative department's fertilizer dealers, in district Kathua, who have been fleecing the farmers by overcharging them against the printed Maximum Retail Price (MRP) on the Urea bags.
Despite the supervisory officers of Legal Metrology Department, District administration and the administration of Cooperative department, the fertilizer dealers have been fleecing the farmers at a time, when the wheat crop is at its peak season. A farmer of Jakhbar, Kathua, Kartar Chand who purchased 10 bags of Urea from Cooperative depot of Kathua, near Shaheedi Chowk said, "The MRP printed on the 50 KG urea bag is Rs. 268 but the dealer charge Rs. 280 and when I objected, he rudely told to purchase it from some other store and we are being asked by higher officials to charge Rs. 280". He further said that wheat crop needed fertilizer to stimulate the growth of saplings while it is raining intermittently, otherwise, the growth of the wheat would be hampered. "If a dealer of Cooperative department, has been overcharging the farmers, then who will check the private dealers, who are also looting us", he said. Another farmer, Swarn Singh who had sought 25 kilograms of fertilizers from the same store at Shaheedi Chowk Kathua said, "The employee present in the shop simply asked me to pay Rs. 7 per kg and charged Rs. 175 for half bag. He actually should have charged Rs. 135 but he charged Rs. 40 extra", Singh said, adding that when he asked him reasons, the dealer simply said that they have been charging as per the instructions of the department.
Singh further said that when he asked the dealer for bill of the purchase, he said that the bill could only be given after two days. He further said that the farmers were being exploited at every step but nobody has been taking any cognizance of their plight.
"The Price of fertilizers, pesticides and seed have increased manifolds but the produce (crop) of farmers have been decreased in each passing day, which exposed the difference in word and action of the state government", he asserted. |
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