Fertilizers crisis deepens despite govt’s tall claims

LAHORE: Despite tall claims of the Punjab government and Chief Secretary Punjab Kamran Ali Afzal’s series of meetings with the administrative secretaries of concerned departments, commissioners and deputy commissioners, Urea fertilizer is being sold in black market at the rate of Rs2,600 to Rs2,800 per bag.

Farmers are being denied by the dealers asking them to bring the copies of their land’s fard if they want to get the fertilizer at the government’s fixed price at Rs1850 per bag, forcing the poor farmers to purchase Urea at the higher rates of Rs2,600 to Rs2,800. A farmer Ghulam Qasim said earlier they purchased the fertilizer while showing the national identify card, now the dealers demand copy of land’s fard beside the ID card’s copy. “Who will go after patwari to get land’s fard. These are tactics of dealers to deny the farmers. There is no governance and we are being forced to purchase the fertilizer at higher rates”, he added.

Another farmer M Pervaiz was of the view that dealers are blackmailing farmers with the connivance of local administration. Artificial crisis of the fertilizers has been created since November-December last year to force the farmers to buy the fertilizers at higher rates, he opined.

Meanwhile Chief Secretary’s spokesman said the condition of land’s fard has been withdrawn by the Chief Secretary during his Gujranwala district’s visit. He claimed the fertilizer is being sold at the sales point at the fixed price of Rs1,850 per bag under the supervision of the government’s representatives. “The government is monitoring the situation and action is being taken against the hoarders and profiteers as they have been fined and cases have been registered against them. The CS seeks report from commissioners and deputy commissioners about supply and sale of fertilizer on daily basis”, he added.