Chandigarh: The Punjab government has imposed a complete ban on issuing of new licences for pesticides and fertilisers in the state. Businessmen wanting to get a license are upset with this new decision. The Aam Aadmi Party government government is taking new steps aimed at curbing the sale of spurious and non-standard agricultural products in the state.
The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has issued a letter to all the Agriculture Officers directing that no new license of fertilizers, pesticides and seeds should be issued at the district level. The letter also states that if there is any urgent situation, it will be necessary to get approval from the head office for a new license.
Joint Director Agriculture (Plant Protection) Raj Kumar said the decision was taken as the state already had too many licences. As per the details, Punjab currently has around 12,000 licences for pesticides and 375 licences of state-level agencies.
There is also talk that the avenues of this business have been closed for educated youth who wanted to do their business.
Agriculture Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal had also held a meeting with dealers on September 28 in which he had conveyed that no non-standard products of any kind would be allowed to be sold in the state.
He had informed that the government will bring a new law to prevent the sale of spurious and non-standard pesticides, fertilizers and seeds in which non-bailable sections will be included.
In the past, the farmers’ parties had strongly raised the issue that spurious fertilizers and pesticides had crippled the farmers. The government claims that it will provide quality seeds, pesticides and fertilizers to the farmers.