Lok Sabha Question No. 195 (STARRED), answered on 2022-07-29
Subject: Hoarding of Agricultural grade urea
Ministry: CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
Asked by: Suresh Kodikunnil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS DEPARTMENT OF FERTILIZERS

## LOK SABHA

STARRED QUESTION NO. 195* TO BE ANSWERED ON: 29.07.2022

## Hoarding of Agricultural Grade Urea

## 195*: SHRI KODIKUNNIL SURESH:

Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken note of an increase in the unaccounted use and hoarding of agricultural urea in the country; grade
- (b) if so, the details of such urea seized and recovered during the last three years and current year,State-wise;
- (c) whether the Government has noticed that sub standard urea is being distributed to farmers in the country; and
- (d) the details thereof along with the action taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE AND CHEMICALS & FERTILIZERS

## (DR: MANSUKH MANDAVIYA)

(a) to (d): A statement is laid on the table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED To LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 195* FOR 29.07.2022 REGARDING "HOARDING OF AGRICULTURAL GRADE UREA" TABLED BY SHRI KODIKUNNIL SURESH:

(a) & (b) Fertilizers are declared as essential commodity under Essential Commodities Act, 1955 (EFC Act) and a strong enforcement mechanism is in place under Fertilizer Control and Movement orders (FCO&FMO) to stop any possible diversion of fertilizers for non-agriculture purpose. State Governments are adequately empowered under the act to take punitive action against any person violating its provisions and involved in hoarding, diversion etc.

Special Flying Squads constituted at Goll  State level conduct surprise inspectionsl raids on suspected industries to stop any diversion of urea to non-agriculture purpose and immediate action is initiated erring companies as per the provisions of EC Act and Prevention of Black marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act. 1980 against

In addition, a robust IT enabled system ~Integrated Fertilizer Management System (iFMS) is developed by Department of Fertilizers to capture end to end details of Fertilizers in the supply chain: This  system helps all stakeholders such as Gol, States, district level officers and fertilizer   companies in continuous monitoring of Production, requirement; availability, Movement; and sale of fertilizers at field level.

(c) & (d): No such case of large scale sale of sub standard urea to the farmers has been brought to the notice of this Ministry, however; during the year 2020-21 the percentage of urea samples found non standard reported by State Governments during Zonal conference for Rabi 2021-22 was 1.07 at AII India Level. The details of the same are at Annexure |.

The quality of fertilizers is governed under the provision of the Fertiliser (Control) Order, 1985. Clause 19 of the Order strictly prohibits the sale of fertilisers which are not of prescribed standards\_ The State Governments are the actual enforcement agency and are adequately empowered to enforce the provision of FCO, 1985. The fertilizer inspectors notified are empowered to draw fertilizer samples, enter upon and search any premises where any fertilizer is manufacturedlimported or stored or exhibited for sale, contrary to the provisions of the order; seize or detain any fertilizer followed by administrativellegal actions depending on case to case

Violation of any of the provision of FCO invokes both administrative action under Fertilizer (Control) Order; 1985 and Penal action under Essential commodities Act; 1955 for a period of 3 months to 7 years with or without fine. There are 83 notified Fertiliser testing laboratories

Annexure Number of Urea samples analysed and declared Non standard during 2020-21

| Name of the State   |   Total Number of Urea Samples analysed | Number of Samples found Non Standard   | of samples found Non Standard %age   |
|---------------------|-----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
| Andhra Pradesh      |                                     973 | 18                                     | 1.84                                 |
| Bihar               |                                    1096 | 3                                      | 0.27                                 |
| Chattisgarh         |                                     665 | 4                                      | 0.6                                  |
| Goa                 |                                       2 | 0                                      | 0                                    |
| Gujarat             |                                    3367 | 13                                     | 0.38                                 |
| Haryana             |                                      68 | 0                                      | 0                                    |
| Himachal Pradesh    |                                    1065 |                                        | 0                                    |
| Jammu & Kashmir     |                                    1263 |                                        | 0                                    |
| Jharkhand           |                                      90 | 0                                      | 0                                    |
| Karnatka            |                                    2173 | 2                                      | 0.09                                 |
| Kerala              |                                     881 | 2                                      | 0.22                                 |
| Maharashtra         |                                     772 | 47                                     | 6.08                                 |
| Mizoram             |                                      30 | 0                                      | 0                                    |
| Madhya Pradesh      |                                    5910 | 117                                    |                                      |
| Odisha              |                                    1945 | 20                                     | 1.02                                 |
| Puducherry          |                                     126 | 3                                      | 2.38                                 |
| Punjab              |                                       2 | 0                                      | 0                                    |
| Rajasthan           |                                     787 | 9                                      | 1.14                                 |
| Tamil Nadu          |                                    5052 | 35                                     | 0.69                                 |
| Telangana           |                                    2301 |                                        | 0.04                                 |
| Tripura             |                                     148 | ;                                      | 0                                    |
| Uttar Pradesh       |                                     460 |                                        | 0                                    |
| Uttrakhand          |                                     120 | 0                                      | 0                                    |
| West Bengal         |                                     238 | 41                                     | 17.22                                |
| Total All India     |                                   29534 | 315                                    | 1.07                                 |

Source: State Governments data submitted during Zonal Conference of Rabi 2021-22

********

<!-- image -->