Acting on a complaint filed by a farmer, the agriculture and farmers’ welfare department of Punjab raided Brar Seed Store situated opposite to Punjab Agricultural University’s gate number 1 on Tuesday for selling spurious seeds.
The officials confiscated seed samples, bill books and other documents. Police registered a case under Section 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Indian Penal Code and initiated investigation.
Chief agriculture officer Narinder Singh Benipal said for the last few days, the farmers’ organisations were complaining that the shop was selling spurious seeds to farmers at high rates.
He said one farmer had also submitted a written complaint to the Ludhiana deputy commissioner stating that he was sold seeds of PR 128 paddy seeds at Rs 200 per kilogram.
He said that the deputy commissioner had directed the chief agriculture officer of the district to take necessary action.
He said a team of the agriculture and farmers’ welfare department of Punjab raided the store and took samples of PR 128, 129 varieties of paddy seeds, filled bill books and other seed varieties.
Benipal said no dealer or trader will be allowed to sell spurious seeds, low quality fertilisers and insecticides to the farmers and strict action would be taken if they did so.
{{/usCountry}}Benipal said no dealer or trader will be allowed to sell spurious seeds, low quality fertilisers and insecticides to the farmers and strict action would be taken if they did so.
{{/usCountry}}He appealed to the farmers not to burn wheat stubble as it polluted the environment. He advised farmers to either prepare husk from wheat stubble or to go for in-situ management.
He said the state government had allowed the farmers to sow paddy a week earlier. He said that the farmers can sow paddy after May 10 and transplant after June 10.