Unauthorised fertiliser truck from Bihar seized in Manipur

IMPHAL — The Manipur Agriculture department has initiated legal proceedings after a consignment of fertiliser was allegedly transported illegally without authorisation to the state.

The matter came to light when local residents of Moirang in Bishnupur district intercepted approximately 600 bags of di-ammonium phosphate, also known as “Diamond”, on April 26.

The consignment was initially stopped on suspicion of unauthorised movement and was subsequently seized by Moirang Police.

Director of Agriculture Peter Salam told the media on Monday that the truck, reportedly associated with Agro-Tech Solutions, had transported the consignment from Bihar.

Upon investigation, it was found that Agro-Tech Solutions is neither an authorised nor a registered dealer permitted to transport or distribute fertilisers within the state, Salam said.

The department has taken serious note of the incident, which is reported to be the first of its kind in the state.

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Salam further informed that the department is initiating necessary action against all concerned parties, including the supplier and recipient, under the provisions of the Essential Commodities Act and the Fertiliser (Control) Order.

He said strict measures will be taken to ensure that such incidents do not recur in future.

Regarding fertiliser availability, Salam stated that in preparation for the upcoming Kharif season, the department had distributed around 1,10,000 bags of fertilisers during the previous year.

Additionally, about 1,80,000 bags were distributed to farmers across the state.

At present, around 1 lakh bags of fertilisers are available in the department's fertiliser godowns.

The department is also planning to procure an additional 70,000 to 80,000 bags over the next three to four months.