Urea being smuggled to Nepal: Govt

The state government admitted there was rampant smuggling of urea from eastern UP districts to Nepal,leading to scarcity of the fertiliser in the region.

The government,however,assured additional stocks will be supplied,ending the shortage within a week. Agriculture minister Lakshmi Naryan Chowdhary said this in the state Assembly during the Zero Hour on Wednesday.

Raising the issue,Congress member Ishwar Dutt Shukla said around 10,000 bags of urea was being smuggled daily out of Gorakhpur. The Agriculture department has issued license for fertiliser trading to hundreds of people. These license holders were singularly involved in smuggling, he added. Congress leader in Assembly,Pramod Tewari,alleged that urea was being openly sold in the black market. Members of other parties also echoed the same.

Replying to the adjournment notice in the Assembly,Choudhury said the government knew that fertilisers were being smuggled. He added the government will take measures to curb such incidents and from the next season,departments of Agriculture and Cooperatives will set up check posts in border districts.

He read out the details of raids conducted by the department against the fertiliser dealers the number of FIRs lodged,the number of licenses cancelled and the people sent to jail. Not satisfied with the ministers reply,Congress members staged a walk out.

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