The Telangana government on Thursday ordered setting up of special teams to control the menace of spurious seeds and instructed officials to take stringent action on agencies selling such seeds.
The officials have also been ordered to ensure that there is no black-marketing of seeds and fertilizers in the state.
Agriculture minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy told reporters here that the government will not tolerate the presence of spurious seeds in the market. He also assured farmers that adequate quantities of seeds for various crops as well as stocks of fertilizers were available in the state.
Meanwhile, state chief secretary Dr Rajiv Sharma, in a video conference with district collectors, said that vigilance must be maintained on distribution of seeds and fertilizers for Kharif operations in all the districts. “The officials should ensure that the farmers are not put to any inconveniences and hardships in getting seeds and fertilizers”, he said.
Meanwhile, reports from Mahbubnagar on Thursday said that special teams sent from Hyderabad conducted extensive raids on seed dealers in the district, especially in Gadwal town. Agriculture department officials in the district said that even they were unaware of the raids until reports began reaching them late in the day.
Source: The Times of India