Punjab: Crackdown on hoarding: 460 bags of DAP, pesticides seized in Barnala

District chief agriculture officer Jagsir Singh said samples from the hoarded items have been collected for testing to determine whether they are authentic or counterfeit

A surprise inspection conducted by the agriculture department at Moom village in Barnala’s Mehal Kalan led to the discovery of 460 bags of illegally stored DAP fertiliser and various pesticides.

The shop at Moom village in Barnala’s Mehal Kalan was operating without proper registration, say officials of the agriculture department. (HT)

The items were found in a shop named Moom Pesticides. “The shop had been operating without proper registration. Its owner Inderjit Singh is absconding,” said an official.

Following the discovery, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered.

According to station house officer Sherwinder Singh, the shop contained bags of DAP, fertilisers and pesticides, which were seized by officials during the raid. “The case has been filed under the Fertilizers Act, Insecticides Act and Essential Commodities Act,” the SHO said.

District chief agriculture officer Jagsir Singh said samples from the hoarded items have been collected for testing to determine whether they are authentic or counterfeit. Additional samples were also taken from two other shops in Bhadaur for comparison. “The store has been sealed and its licence will be cancelled once the investigation is concluded.”