To prevent hoarding of urea, Moga storehouses checked

Tribune News Service

Moga, January 28

Irregular distribution of urea by cooperative societies has come to light in Moga district despite the fact that an additional supply of 2,100 tonne reached here over the past few days.

District Magistrate Parminder Singh Gill, along with senior officials of the administration, checked storehouses of urea distributors and asked officials of the agriculture and cooperative department to ensure equitable distribution of the fertiliser as per farmers’ requirement.

Gill said 90 per cent of the farmers in the district had already completed the sprinkling of the second dose of urea on wheat crop.

Agriculture Development Officer Dr Jaswinder Singh Brar said wheat had been sown on 1.7 lakh hectare in the district. The crop on around 1.5 lakh hectare had already got the second dose of urea, he added.

He said 72,100 tonne urea had arrived in the district against a requirement of 70,000 tonne for wheat crop. At least, 35,000 tonne urea was sprinkled in the first dose.

Dr Brar admitted that irregular distribution of urea by cooperative societies had come to light in some villages despite additional supply being made available to them. “I have brought it to the notice of the district magistrate who has already pulled up officials of the cooperative department to ensure equitable distribution,” he added.

The administration has ordered checking of cooperative societies and private dealers.

Moga is the home district of Agriculture Minister Jathedar Tota Singh. District officials here have been told to ensure that all farmers got urea as per their requirement.

Brar said widespread rain in most parts of the district last week provided conducive conditions for spraying the second dose of urea. “The farmers should spray urea as recommended by agro-scientists,” he said.