Arrest those selling spurious seed, KCR tells officials

Telangana to implement multi-pronged approach to prevent adulterated seeds, fertilisers

Hyderabad: With the onset of Vaanakalam crop season in a few days, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao directed the officials to make quality seeds, fertilisers and pesticides available to the farmers. He suggested implementation of seed traceability method using the government-issued QR codes on these products and ensure that they are sold only through the authorised companies’ outlets to prevent the spurious products from flooding the market.

Further, the Chief Minister asked Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar to enforce strict regulations to curb adulteration of seeds and pesticides by amending the existing laws and issuing ordinances, if needed. He also wanted the officials to crackdown on the spurious or adulterated products being sold under different guises. He ordered the Finance Department to deposit the Rythu Bandhu financial incentive of Rs 5,000 per acre in the bank accounts of all farmers between June 15 and 25 without fail and asked the officials to implement the scheme as per the existing categories and also for benefit of farmers whose lands have been shifted from Part-B to Part-A category with June 10 as a cut-off date.

A high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Minister was held at Pragati Bhavan on Saturday on the availability of seeds in the agricultural sector, prevention of sale of spurious seeds, Rythu Bandhu distribution and paddy procurement among others. On the occasion, Chandrashekhar Rao felt that the government’s goal of reviving and stabilising the agricultural sector in the State has been achieved and thereby strengthening the rural economy. He said that along with Mission Kakatiya, they have succeeded in transforming Telangana into a cultivable land of one crore acres by constructing irrigation projects and bringing a qualitative change in the agricultural sector.

“No matter how many obstacles were created by filing of court cases, the construction of irrigation projects like Kaleswaram could be completed without any delay. The confidence of farmers of Telangana State could be improved due to our efforts. With dedication and commitment towards the farmers’ welfare and agricultural development, the Telangana government was able to achieve the intended goals due to good planning,” he added. He observed that the government’s decision to implement the Rythu Bandhu scheme was yielding positive results and has become a growth engine for the State’s economy.

Chandrashekhar Rao instructed the officials to form district-wise teams comprising the agriculture, police, intelligence and other departments and crackdown on spurious seed manufacturers across the districts and arrest the culprits under the PD Act. He announced that the State government will award a service medal along with auxiliary promotions and incentives to the officials of the Agriculture Department, Police Department and others who nab these culprits.

However, he warned that stringent action would be initiated against the Agriculture Department officials who collude with the manufacturers of spurious seeds and fertilisers. The guilty officials would be removed from service besides filing of criminal charges against them. Further, the Chief Minister explained that spurious seeds and adulterated pesticides were causing severe loss to the farmers and the menace should be curbed under any circumstances. He pointed out that adulterated pesticides and fertilizers were being sold under the brands of bio-seeds and bio-pesticides among others.

“It is time for the Police Department to show its full capacity and declare a war against the gangs selling counterfeit agricultural products,” he told DGP M Mahender Reddy over the telephone. He also directed the officials of the district Agriculture Department to pull up their sleeves and take responsibility to end the sale of fake seeds and fertilisers.

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