The Punjab government has decided to supervise the sale of urea fertiliser at dealers’ shops by deputing officials of Agriculture Department and the district administration to ensure availability of fertiliser to farmers at the fixed rates.
The instructions were issued during a video link meeting of deputy commissioners chaired by Chief Secretary Punjab Zahid Akhtar Zaman at the Civil Secretariat, here on Friday. The chief secretary ordered deployment of officials of the Agriculture Department and district administration at the shops of fertilizer dealers to check overcharging. The dealers would be required to provide the data of sales and stocks of fertiliser on a daily basis, he said. The chief secretary said that the government would protect the rights of the farmers in any case, adding that the tied sale of urea with other fertilizers would not be allowed. He said that strict action would be taken in case of sale of fertilizer at higher than the fixed rates. He said that the fertilizer companies do not have the right to increase prices on their own. He also asked the agriculture department to notify the prices of fertilizers in the province. The agriculture secretary gave a briefing about the ongoing crackdown on overcharging and hoarding of fertilizers.
