SHOPIAN, MARCH 18: The District Administration Shopian today launched a major crackdown against the sale of spurious pesticides/ Fertilizers in the district.
Enforcement team headed by the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Shopian, Mushtaq Ahmed Simnani along with SDM, Zainapora, Mushtaq Ahmad, Tehsildar, Shopian, Chief Horticulture Officer, Chief Agriculture Officer, District Law Enforcement Officer, South and Fertilizer Inspector made surprise inspection of retail outlets/ warehouses of pesticides and seized on spot 750 bags of different fertilizers either without Batch Number or without sampling.
During the inspection, many pesticides/fertilizers sale outlets and warehouses were inspected and registration documents were checked and some samples were also lifted for laboratory testing.
The teams instructed the dealers to strictly comply with guidelines in vogue.
Regarding the surprise inspections, the ADC said that every single pesticide/fertilizers outlet/warehouse in the district shall be inspected for quality check of pesticides/fertilizers in future also and punitive action under law shall be initiated against unregistered/illegally operating units or those compromising with quality of the pesticides/fertilizers in the district.
He said that the District Administration is vigorously working and pursuing an endeavour to ensure that only the genuine quality products (insecticides/pesticides/fertilizers) reaches the consumer (farmer).
Simnani said that the Govt. has also constituted district wise law enforcement teams comprising District Law Enforcement Officer, District Agriculture Officer, Law Enforcement Inspector and concerned Horticulture Development Officer for strict implementation of Insecticide Act (1968) and Rules (1971) thereof. People can register their grievances with these officers for immediate action, he added.
The ADC stressed upon the need to eradicate the menace of sale of spurious pesticides in the district for bumper apple crop. He assured the public that criminal action shall be initiated against such dealers who are involved in this racket of selling spurious pesticides thereby causing damage to the apple crops.
