It has instructed
farmers to go for direct purchase from shops where pesticides
recommended by PAU and agriculture department are available given at
subsidised rates.
Ludhiana: AFTER A pesticide purchase scam came
to light following failure of cotton crop due to whitefly attack last
October, the agriculture department has decided not to purchase any
pesticide this year.
It has instructed farmers to go for direct
purchase from shops where pesticides recommended by PAU and agriculture
department are available given at subsidised rates.
Confirming
the development, Dr Jasbir Singh, director, agriculture, said, “This
year, we have not purchased pesticides at our level.
Rather, a
list of recommended pesticides has been sent out to farmers and various
dealers have stocked them in their shops. Farmers can buy pesticides
according to their will.”
Last year, an inquiry was ordered on
purchase of more than 92,000 litres of Oberon pesticide that was given
to cotton farmers. Former Director Agriculture Mangal Singh Sandhu was
booked in the case.
Dr Jasbir Singh, however, did not comment on
the pesticide purchase controversy but reiterated that farmers were
repeatedly being told to buy pesticide sprays suggested by the
agriculture department.
Sukhdev Singh, general secretary, Bharti
Kisan Union (Ugrahan), said, “This year we are directly purchasing
pesticides from the dealers, as last year’s subsidised product was
spurious and spoiled our cotton crop in Malwa region.” However,
pesticides are costlier this time.