PD Act will be invoked on fake, spurious seed circulators: CP

CPM Srinivasulu said that police taskforce teams were coordinating with other government departments to check the sale of fake and spurious seeds.

Peddapalli: Commissioner of Police, M Srinivasulu warned that besides registering criminal cases, PD Act would be invoked against those who were involved in the circulation of fake and spurious seeds.

Informing that check posts have been established at the border of district to check illegal transportation of seed, CP said that police taskforce teams were coordinating with other government departments to check the sale of fake and spurious seeds.

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Participating in an awareness programme to police officers from Ramagundam commissionerate limits held in Godavarikhani on Monday, CP explained about the standard operation processor (SOP) to be followed to identify fake, spurious and banned HT cotton seeds.

Srinivasulu advised dealers to sell seeds by following the rules and regulations of the state government. He warned to take serious action if any dealer was engaged in seed business without license. Action would also be taken if anybody stored seeds in kiranstores and sold fake seeds in the name of agents and middlemen.

Informing that it was also a crime either to sell or store or transport fake seeds in the name of a branded company, CP asked the police officers to take legal action against those people.

Instructing the police officers to carry out raids in seed and fertilizer shops, godowns and manufacturing units, he advised the cops to verify whether the shops have licenses. If they have licenses, officers should check form-B or form-C (renewal), authorization license issued by Seed Certificate Authority and its validity.

Besides seed license, price list, bills, retail and wholesale seed stock in stock register, invoice, delivery challans and other details should also be verified. It was also necessary to check whether stock details have been tallied with book balance.

He emphasized the need to check packing, tags, labels, manufacturing company details, and expiry dates. If they find seeds under suspicious conditions, they should be sent to labs for testing through concern mandal agriculture officers (MAOs).

Officers should also verify whether the seed dealers were giving receipts to farmers. CP directed officers to carry out surprise checking by utilizing modern technology in the areas where illegal transportation of seed was being done.

Instructing the cops to pay watch on the movements of the people involved in fake seeds sales in the past, he advised to invoke PD Act if frequent cases were registered on them.