Lok Sabha Question No. 1730 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-11
Subject: Supply of Spurious Chemicals
Ministry: CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
Asked by: Sumedhanand Saraswati

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS & FERTILIZERS DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICALS & PETROCHEMICALS

## LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION No. 1730 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2022

## Supply of Spurious Chemicals

## 1730.  SHRI SUMEDHANAND SARASWATI:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  received  any  complaints  regarding  supply  of spurious  chemicals  that  are  either  locally  manufactured  or  imported  in  the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  fixed  any  standards  for  maintaining  quality  of chemicals;
- (d) if so, whether the Government has taken any action against any individual or company involved in supply of spurious chemicals; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS (Dr. MANSUKH MANDAVIYA)

- (a)&(b): Broadly  the Chemical  sector  is  de-licensed  and  de-regulated.  However, Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage receives complaints/ representations  from  various  sources  as  Industry  Associations,  Customs Authority, etc. regarding supply of spurious pesticides that are either locally manufactured or imported in to the country.

There  is  no  provision  of  spurious  pesticides  in  Insecticides  Act,  1968, however, u/s 3k the definition of 'misbranded' pesticide is clearly defined. The details of complaints/ representations are annexed as Annexure-I.

- (c) Bureau of Indian  Standards  (BIS)  formulates  standards  for  chemicals  and most  of the standards  are presently voluntary in nature.  To  ensure manufacture  and  import  of  quality  chemicals,  Department  of  Chemicals  & Petrochemicals has initiated an exercise to  make  BIS  standards  as mandatory  for  some  chemicals  under  Section  16  of  BIS  Act,  2016. Accordingly, D/o Chemicals & Petrochemicals has notified 52 Quality Control Order to make BIS standards as mandatory so far.

Also,  Central  Insecticide  Inspectors  conduct  routine/surprise  investigations of manufacturing units/sale points and consequently drawls of samples from the same to ascertain the quality (active ingredient) of insecticides. It is also

- ascertained that no banned pesticides are being manufactured/ marketed in the

country. (d)&(e): The information is not maintained by Department.

*****

## Annexure-I

## Complaints  received  regarding  supply  of  spurious  chemicals  that  are  either locally manufactures or imported in the country during 2021-22

|   Sl. No. | Case Details                                                    | Action taken                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | Inference of the investigation (if any)                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|         1 | Unregistered and illegal sale of 1- Methylcyclopropene          | State authority were requested to nominate teams for investigation and verification: Commissioner of Agriculture, Pune, Maharastra Commissioner of Agriculture, Haryana, Chandigrah Director of Agriculture, Lucknow, UP Director of Agriculture, Shimla, HP, Director of Agriculture, Srinagar, J&K | The Teams were nominated to investigate and inspect the premises for carrying out such activities by state authorities and no such activity was reported. Report from Commissioner of Agriculture, Haryana, Chandigarh is awaited. |
|         2 | Illegal sale/distribution of Dichlorovos by a firm in Haryana   | A team of notified Central insecticide inspectors was nominated to verify the veracity of the complaint.                                                                                                                                                                                             | No illegal activity as alleged in the complaint was reported. Two samples were drawn which were found to be conforming to specification in RPTLs.                                                                                  |
|         3 | Spurious pesticide manufacturing by a firm in Haryana           | State authority were requested to nominate teams for investigation and verification Commissioner of Agriculture, Haryana.                                                                                                                                                                            | A team was deputed by state authority and samples were drawn by the concerned notified agriculture inspector. Samples were found to be misbranded. Launching of prosecution under process by state authority.                      |
|         4 | Import of plant growth regulator by mis- declaration from china | A team of notified central insecticide inspectors was deputed for checking the veracity of the complaint and import data was collected from custom authority.                                                                                                                                        | Team raided the firm in December 2021 and sample was drawn. Sample analysis report is awaited. Consent for launch of prosecution against firm for illegal import of Ethephon sought from state authority.                          |

|   Sl. No. | Case Details                                                                                                          | Action taken                                                                                                                                            | Inference of the investigation (if any)                                                                                                                                                                        |
|-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|         5 | Illegal Repacking, marketing and sale of Spurious Aluminium Phosphide in states of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Haryana | Teams of notified central insecticide inspectors were deputed for inspection, verification and drawl of samples to check the veracity of the complaint. | No such activity was reported from Maharashtra and Haryana. One case of Repacking and sale of Spurious Aluminium Phosphide in state of Karnataka was verified and case is to be launched in the Hon'ble court. |
|         6 | Lacing of Incense sticks with chemical pesticides in the state of Maharashtra                                         | Teams of notified central insecticide inspectors were deputed for inspection, verification and drawl of samples to check the veracity of the complaint. | Team drew samples from the said premises and were sent for analysis at NIPHM Hyderabad, were found to be free from chemical pesticides.                                                                        |