Lok Sabha Question No. 5207 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-27
Subject: Substandard/Spurious Insecticides Seeds and Chemical Fertilizers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: VISHNU DAYAL RAM, BODH SINGH BHAGAT, BALASUBRAMANIAM SENGUTTUVAN

O.I.H

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5207

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 27 TH  MARCH, 2018

## SUBSTANDARD/SPURIOUS INSECTICIDES SEEDS AND CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS

5207.    SHRI VISHNU DAYAL RAM: SHRI BODHSINGH BHAGAT: SHRI B. SENGUTTUVAN:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  the  States  in  the  country  where  cases  of  sale/circulation  of adulterated/  spurious  and  substandard  pesticides,  seeds  and  chemical  fertilizers have come to the notice of the Government along with the details of the corrective action taken by the Government in this regard;
- (b) the  details  of  the  action  taken  against  the  companies  manufacturing  substandard/spurious insecticides, seeds and chemical fertilizers and to ban the sale of products of these companies before cancelling the licenses of traders;
- (c) if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) if not, the reasons therefor and the reaction of the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  AGRICULTURE  AND  FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंालय म राय मंी (SHRI  PARSHOTTAM  RUPALA)

- (a) to (d): Under  the  provision  of  the  Insecticides  Act,  1968,  the  Central  and State Government have notified 182 and 10500 number of Insecticides Inspectors respectively, to carry out inspection of manufacturing, storage and sale points etc., draw  samples  of  pesticides  and  have  them  analysed  with  the  help  of  notified Pesticide  Analysts.  Prosecution  is  initiated  in  competent  courts  of  law  in  cases  of violation  of  the  provisions  of  the  Insecticides  Act,  1968.  This  Act  has  also  vested State  Governments  with  legal  authority  to  investigate  complaints  and  take  legal action against offenders. As per the information provided from the States, a total of 63490 samples were analysed in 2016-17, out of which 2.32 % (1470) were found to be misbranded. The details are at Annexure I

The Seeds Act, 1966, Seeds Rules, 1968 and Seeds (Control) Order, 1893 have  sufficient  provisions  to  check  the  sale  of  sub-standard  and  spurious  seeds. States are empowered to tale   punitive   action   against   such  companies and seed  traders  on  contravention  of  provisions  of  the  Seeds  Act,  1966.  There  are provisions of notified Seed Inspectors, Seed Analysts and Seed Testing lab in the Seeds Act, 1966 for this purpose. The Seed law enforcement report for 2016-17 is at Annexure II.

The  Fertilizers  (Control)  Order,  1985  regulate  the  trade,  price,  quality  and distribution  of  fertilizers.  State  governments  are  adequately  empowered  under  this Act to take appropriate administrative and legal actions against those dealers/manufacturers/importers  who  do  not  comply  with  the  provisions.  Further, samples of Fertilizer are drawn periodically by the Fertilizer Inspectors of the State Governments from retailers/wholesalers and manufacturing units etc. for  testing in the notified laboratories to check their quality. During 2016-17, around 5.3% samples were reported non-standard. The Details are at Annexure III. In addition, the details of follow up action on non-standard samples during 2016-17 is at Annexure IV.

## Annexure I

## STATEMENT SHOWING DETAILS OF PESTICIDES SAMPLES ANALYSED IN STATE PESTICIDES TESTING LABORATORIES (SPTLs) DURING 2016-17

| S. No.   | State/UT            | 2016-17 No of samples   | 2016-17 No of samples   | 2016-17 No of samples   |
|----------|---------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|          |                     | Analyzed                | Misbranded              | Prosecution Launched    |
| 1.       | Andhra Pradesh      | 5226                    | 35                      | 04                      |
| 2.       | Arunachal Pradesh   |                         |                         |                         |
| 3.       | Andaman &Nicobar    |                         |                         |                         |
| 4.       | Assam               | 16                      |                         |                         |
| 5.       | Bihar               | 823                     | 23                      |                         |
| 6.       | Chandigarh          |                         |                         |                         |
| 7.       | Chhattisgarh        | 172                     | 10                      |                         |
| 8.       | Daman &Diu          |                         |                         |                         |
| 9.       | Dadar &Nagar Haveli |                         |                         |                         |
| 10.      | Delhi               |                         |                         |                         |
| 11.      | Goa                 |                         |                         |                         |
| 12.      | Gujarat             | 3152                    | 81                      | 27                      |
| 13.      | Haryana             | 1223                    | 17                      | 12                      |
| 14.      | Himachal Pradesh    | 301                     | 00                      | 00                      |
| 15.      | Jammu & Kashmir     | 660                     | 50                      |                         |
| 16.      | Jharkhand           |                         |                         |                         |
| 17.      | Karnataka           | 3886                    | 35                      | 02                      |
| 18.      | Kerala              | 856                     | 00                      | 00                      |
| 19.      | Lakshadweep         |                         |                         |                         |
| 20.      | Madhya Pradesh      | 844                     | 115                     | 03                      |
| 21.      | Maharashtra         | 6030                    | 282                     | 68                      |
| 22.      | Manipur             |                         |                         |                         |
| 23.      | Meghalaya           |                         |                         |                         |
| 24.      | Mizoram             |                         |                         |                         |
| 25.      | Nagaland            |                         |                         |                         |
| 26.      | Orissa              | 401                     | 36                      |                         |
| 27.      | Pondicherry         | 128                     | 00                      |                         |
| 28.      | Punjab              | 3898                    | 98                      | 27                      |
| 29.      | Rajasthan           | 2800                    | 57                      |                         |
| 30.      | Sikkim              |                         |                         |                         |
| 31.      | Tamil Nadu          | 21547                   | 168                     | 05                      |
| 32.      | Telangana           | 3592                    | 06                      |                         |
| 33.      | Tripura             | 22                      | 00                      |                         |
| 34.      | Uttarakhand         | 129                     | 01                      |                         |
| 35.      | Uttar Pradesh       | 6632                    | 453                     | 434                     |
| 36       | West Bengal         | 1152                    | 03                      |                         |
|          | Total               | 63490                   | 1470                    | 582                     |

## Progress Report of Seed Law Enforcement for the year 2016-17

|   S. No | State            | Total No. of samples drawn   | No. of samples found sub- standard   | No. of cases in which warning issued   | No. of cases stop sale order issued   | No. of cases filed in the Court of Law   | No. of cases decided by Court of Law fine/ imprisonment awarded   | No. of cases pending in Court of Law   | No. of cases where seed forfeited   |
|---------|------------------|------------------------------|--------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|       1 | 2                | 3                            | 4                                    | 5                                      | 6                                     | 7                                        | 8                                                                 | 9                                      | 10                                  |
|       1 | Andhra Pradesh   | 6906                         | 147                                  | 100                                    | 60                                    | 100                                      | 0                                                                 | 100                                    | 0                                   |
|       2 | Assam            | Nil                          | Nil                                  | Nil                                    | Nil                                   | Nil                                      | Nil                                                               | Nil                                    | Nil                                 |
|       3 | Bihar            | Nil                          | Nil                                  | Nil                                    | Nil                                   | Nil                                      | Nil                                                               | Nil                                    | Nil                                 |
|       4 | Chhattisgarh     | 1810                         | 78                                   | 0                                      | 78                                    | 0                                        | 0                                                                 | 0                                      | 0                                   |
|       5 | Delhi            | Nil                          | Nil                                  | Nil                                    | Nil                                   | Nil                                      | Nil                                                               | Nil                                    | Nil                                 |
|       6 | Gujarat          | 4612                         | 64                                   | 16                                     | 64                                    | 15                                       | 1                                                                 | 14                                     | 0                                   |
|       7 | Haryana          | 2660                         | 45                                   | 25                                     | 10                                    | 8                                        | 0                                                                 | 15                                     | 0                                   |
|       8 | Himachal Pradesh | Nil                          | Nil                                  | Nil                                    | Nil                                   | Nil                                      | Nil                                                               | Nil                                    | Nil                                 |
|       9 | Jammu& Kashmir   | Nil                          | Nil                                  | Nil                                    | Nil                                   | Nil                                      | Nil                                                               | Nil                                    | Nil                                 |
|      10 | Jharkhand        | 2371                         | 61                                   | 6                                      | 0                                     | 0                                        | 0                                                                 | 0                                      | 0                                   |
|      11 | Karnataka        | 7992                         | 85                                   | 0                                      | 0                                     | 0                                        | 0                                                                 | 0                                      | 0                                   |
|      12 | Kerala           | 4                            | 0                                    | 0                                      | 0                                     | 0                                        | 0                                                                 | 0                                      | 0                                   |
|      13 | Madhya Pradesh   | Nil                          | Nil                                  | Nil                                    | Nil                                   | Nil                                      | Nil                                                               | Nil                                    | Nil                                 |
|      14 | Maharashtra      | 13365                        | 209                                  | 103                                    | 1247                                  | 93                                       | 0                                                                 | 0                                      | 10                                  |
|      15 | Odisha           | 904                          | 243                                  | 0                                      | 0                                     | 0                                        | 0                                                                 | 0                                      | 0                                   |
|      16 | Puducherry       | 120                          | 29                                   | 1                                      | 0                                     | 0                                        | 0                                                                 | 0                                      | 0                                   |
|      17 | Punjab           | 3963                         | 166                                  | 0                                      | 0                                     | 23                                       | 0                                                                 | 0                                      | 0                                   |
|      18 | Rajasthan        | Nil                          | Nil                                  | Nil                                    | Nil                                   | Nil                                      | Nil                                                               | Nil                                    | Nil                                 |
|      19 | Tamil Nadu       | 50166                        | 1826                                 | -                                      | 920                                   | 459                                      | -                                                                 | 129                                    | -                                   |
|      20 | Telangana        | 7194                         | 121                                  | 15                                     | 0                                     | 121                                      | 0                                                                 | 121                                    | 0                                   |
|      21 | Tripura          | 0                            | 0                                    | 0                                      | 0                                     | 0                                        | 0                                                                 | 0                                      | 0                                   |
|      22 | U.P.             | 3261                         | 81                                   | 42                                     | 17                                    | 0                                        | 0                                                                 | 0                                      | 0                                   |
|      23 | Uttarakhand      | 525                          | 33                                   | 33                                     | 0                                     | 0                                        | 0                                                                 | 0                                      | 0                                   |
|      24 | W.B.             | 19247                        | 1562                                 | 40                                     | 543                                   | 0                                        | 0                                                                 | 0                                      | 0                                   |

Annexure II

## STATEWISE NUMBER OF FERTILISER SAMPLES ANALYSED AND FOUND NON-STANDARD DURING 2016-17

| S.No.   | Name of State    | No. of Labs.   | Annual Analyzing Capacity   | No. of samples   | No. of samples   | Non Standard       | Non Standard                   | Non Standard   | % Capacity Utilisa- tion   | % Samples Non- standard   |
|---------|------------------|----------------|-----------------------------|------------------|------------------|--------------------|--------------------------------|----------------|----------------------------|---------------------------|
|         |                  |                |                             | Analyzed         | Non- Std.        | Nutrient deficient | Physical parameter& impurities | Total          |                            |                           |
| 1       | Assam            | 1              | 500                         | 417              |                  | 7                  | 0                              | 7              | 83.4                       | 1.7                       |
| 2       | Mizoram          | 1              | 250                         | 6                |                  | 0                  | 0                              | 0              | 2.4                        | 0.0                       |
| 3       | Jharkhand        | 1              | 1500                        | 454              |                  | 14                 | 0                              | 14             | 30.3                       | 3.1                       |
| 4       | Bihar            | 1              | 4000                        | 3467             |                  | 139                | 0                              | 139            | 86.7                       | 4.0                       |
| 5       | Odisha           | 4              | 12260                       | 6052             |                  | 124                | 87                             | 211            | 49.4                       | 3.5                       |
| 6       | West Bengal*     | 3              | 4500                        | 2710             |                  | 237                | 13                             | 250            | 60.2                       | 9.2                       |
| 7       | Tripura          | 1              | 500                         | 614              |                  | 0                  | 0                              | 0              | 122.8                      | 0.0                       |
|         | Total East &NER  | 12             | 23510                       | 13720            | 0                | 521                | 100                            | 621            | 58.4                       | 4.5                       |
| 8       | Gujarat*         | 3              | 12500                       | 11440            |                  | 114                | 9                              | 123            | 91.5                       | 1.1                       |
| 9       | M.P.             | 4              | 7500                        | 6373             |                  | 654                | 8                              | 662            | 85.0                       | 10.4                      |
| 10      | Chhatisgarh      | 1              | 2500                        | 1831             |                  | 125                | 12                             | 137            | 73.2                       | 7.5                       |
| 11      | Maharashtra      | 5              | 18000                       | 15274            |                  | 2061               | 642                            | 2703           | 84.9                       | 17.7                      |
| 12      | Rajasthan        | 7              | 14500                       | 13279            |                  | 165                | 22                             | 187            | 91.6                       | 1.4                       |
|         | Total West Zone  | 20             | 55000                       | 48197            | 0                | 3119               | 693                            | 3812           | 87.6                       | 7.9                       |
| 13      | Haryana*         | 3              | 5100                        | 1732             |                  | 81                 | 1                              | 82             | 34.0                       | 4.7                       |
| 14      | H.P.*            | 3              | 2000                        | 1750             |                  | 62                 | 1                              | 63             | 87.5                       | 3.6                       |
| 15      | J&K              | 2              | 1450                        | 433              |                  | 0                  | 0                              | 0              | 29.9                       | 0.0                       |
| 16      | Punjab*          | 2              | 3600                        | 3537             |                  | 95                 | 4                              | 99             | 98.3                       | 2.8                       |
| 17      | U.P.             | 4              | 12000                       | 10362            |                  | 825                | 0                              | 825            | 86.4                       | 8.0                       |
| 18      | Uttarakhand      | 2              | 500                         | 321              |                  | 23                 | 0                              | 23             | 64.2                       | 7.2                       |
|         | Total North Zone | 16             | 24650                       | 18135            | 0                | 1086               | 6                              | 1092           | 73.6                       | 6.0                       |
| 19      | A.P.             | 3              | 10500                       | 9815             |                  | 121                | 17                             | 138            | 93.5                       | 1.4                       |
| 20      | Telangana        | 2              | 9000                        | 13261            |                  | 112                | 15                             | 127            | 147.3                      | 1.0                       |
| 21      | Karnataka        | 7              | 13500                       | 8767             |                  | 206                | 7                              | 213            | 64.9                       | 2.4                       |
| 22      | Kerala           | 2              | 5000                        | 2918             |                  | 150                | 0                              | 150            | 58.4                       | 5.1                       |
| 23      | Puducherry       | 1              | 700                         | 606              |                  | 3                  | 0                              | 3              | 86.6                       | 0.5                       |
| 24      | Tamil Nadu       | 14             | 17500                       | 17300            |                  | 565                | 229                            | 794            | 98.9                       | 4.6                       |
|         | Total South Zone | 29             | 56200                       | 52667            | 0                | 1157               | 268                            | 1425           | 93.7                       | 2.7                       |
| 25      | Govt. Of India   | 4              | 8500                        | 3661             |                  | 305                | 10                             | 315            | 43.1                       | 8.6                       |
|         | Total All India  | 82             | 167860                      | 136380           | 0                | 6188               | 1077                           | 7265           | 81.2                       | 5.3                       |

## ANNEXURE-III

## STATEWISE DETAILS OF FOLLOW UP ACTION ON NON STANDARD SAMPLES DURING 2016-17

| S.No.   | Name of the State   | No. of Non Std. samples   | Administrative Action Taken   | Administrative Action Taken   | Administrative Action Taken   | Prose- cution Launched   | Cases Pending for Action`   | Charging higher Price   | Seizure of Stock/Stop Sale   | Disposal allowed under cl.23   | Conviction awarded   | Cases pending in Court   | No. of cases other violation of FCO   |
|---------|---------------------|---------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------------|--------------------------------|----------------------|--------------------------|---------------------------------------|
|         |                     |                           | DRC Cancelled                 | DRC suspen- ded               | Other action                  |                          |                             |                         |                              |                                |                      |                          |                                       |
| 1       | 2                   | 3                         | 4                             | 5                             | 6                             | 7                        | 8                           | 9                       | 10                           | 11                             | 12                   | 13                       | 14                                    |
| 1       | Assam               | 2                         | 0                             | 0                             | 0                             | 0                        | 0                           | 0                       | 0                            | 0                              | 0                    | 1                        | 0                                     |
| 2       | Bihar               | 0                         | 0                             | 0                             | 0                             | 0                        | 0                           | 0                       | 0                            | 0                              | 0                    | 0                        | 0                                     |
| 3       | Jharkhand           | 4                         | 0                             | 0                             | 0                             | 0                        | 0                           | 0                       | 0                            | 0                              | 0                    | 0                        | 0                                     |
| 4       | Odisha              | 211                       | 0                             | 0                             | 211                           | 0                        | 0                           | 0                       | 0                            | 0                              | 0                    | 0                        | 0                                     |
| 5       | West Bengal         | NA                        | NA                            | NA                            | NA                            | NA                       | NA                          | NA                      | NA                           | NA                             | NA                   | NA                       | NA                                    |
| 6       | Mizoram             | 0                         | 0                             | 0                             | 0                             | 0                        | 0                           | 0                       | 0                            | 0                              | 0                    | 0                        | 0                                     |
| 7       | Gujarat             | 123                       | 0                             | 0                             | 43                            | 8                        | 72                          | 0                       | 0                            | 0                              | 0                    | 0                        | 0                                     |
| 8       | M.P.                | 662                       | 91                            | 42                            | 15                            | 3                        | 0                           | 0                       | 0                            | 0                              | 0                    | 3                        | 9                                     |
| 9       | Chattisgarh         | NA                        | NA                            | NA                            | NA                            | NA                       | NA                          | NA                      | NA                           | NA                             | NA                   | NA                       | NA                                    |
| 10      | Maharashtra         | NA                        | NA                            | NA                            | NA                            | NA                       | NA                          | NA                      | NA                           | NA                             | NA                   | NA                       | NA                                    |
| 11      | Rajasthan           | 172                       | 0                             | 0                             | 0                             | 0                        | 172                         | 0                       | 0                            | 0                              | 0                    | 0                        | 0                                     |
| 12      | Haryana             | 21                        | 1                             | 0                             | 12                            | 1                        | 7                           | 0                       | 0                            | 0                              | 0                    | 1                        | 0                                     |
| 13      | H.P.                | 63                        | 0                             | 0                             | 0                             | 0                        | 0                           | 0                       | 0                            | 0                              | 0                    | 0                        | 0                                     |
| 14      | J&K                 | 0                         | 0                             | 0                             | 0                             | 0                        | 0                           | 0                       | 0                            | 0                              | 0                    | 0                        | 0                                     |
| 15      | Punjab              | 0                         | 0                             | 0                             | 0                             | 0                        | 0                           | 0                       | 0                            | 0                              | 0                    | 0                        | 0                                     |
| 16      | U.P.                | 825                       | 562                           | 172                           | 68                            | 23                       | 0                           | 0                       | 0                            | 0                              | 0                    | 43                       | 0                                     |
| 17      | Uttarakhand         | 9                         | 0                             | 0                             | 9                             | 0                        | 0                           | 0                       | 0                            | 0                              | 0                    | 0                        | 0                                     |
| 18      | A.P.                | 110                       | 0                             | 0                             | 10                            | 0                        | 100                         | 0                       | 0                            | 0                              | 0                    | 0                        | 0                                     |
| 19      | Telangana           | 95                        | 0                             | 0                             | 7                             | 6                        | 82                          | 0                       | 0                            | 0                              | 0                    | 6                        | 0                                     |
| 19      | Karnataka           | 160                       | 0                             | 0                             | 0                             | 0                        | 0                           | 0                       | 0                            | 0                              | 0                    | 0                        | 0                                     |
| 20      | Kerala              | 150                       | 0                             | 2                             | 63                            | 0                        | 85                          | 0                       | 0                            | 0                              | 0                    | 0                        | 0                                     |
| 21      | Pudicherry          | 3                         | 0                             | 0                             | 0                             | 0                        | 0                           | 0                       | 0                            | 0                              | 0                    | 0                        | 0                                     |
| 22      | Tamil Nadu          | 753                       | 572                           | 151                           | 421                           | 11                       | 170                         | 0                       | 1                            | 0                              | 0                    | 1                        | 0                                     |
| 23      | Tripura             | 0                         | 0                             | 0                             | 0                             | 0                        | 0                           | 0                       | 0                            | 0                              | 0                    | 0                        | 0                                     |

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