Ludhiana: Agriculture Dept unearths haul of ‘illegal’ growth stimulant for crops

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 25

A flying squad of the Department of Agriculture, Punjab, conducted a raid at a godown on the premises of the Grain Market, located on the rear of Arora Palace on Gill Road, here, on Monday and seized a big haul of allegedly unauthorised growth stimulant product for crops.

Seized 807 boxes worth Rs 76 lakh: official

Chief Agriculture Officer Narinder Singh Benipal said the flying squad unearthed a big haul of the growth stimulant namely nutrozen of Crystal Crop Protection Limited on the premises of the grain market. “We have seized the stock of 807 boxes of the product worth around Rs76 lakh. A case has been registered under Sections 420 and 120-B of the IPC and Essential Commodity Act, 1955, against the accused,” he said.

Chief Agriculture Officer, Ludhiana, Narinder Singh Benipal, said the flying squad unearthed a big haul of the growth stimulant namely nutrozen of Crystal Crop Protection Limited on the premises of the grain market.

He said: “This scandal was going on in an unauthorised godown at the grain market. The seized growth stimulant, nurtozen, can’t be sold under FCO 1985.”

Benipal said: “The stock was not taken in the official records of the company. The record which the company staff had produced was totally bogus. There is a need for further investigation by the police. The stock of the product was earlier supplied to various dealers.”

“We have seized the stock of 807 boxes of the product worth around Rs 76 lakh. A case has been registered under Sections 420, 120-B and Essential Commodity Act, 1955, against the accused,” he said.