Chennai, Aug 31 (BPNS)

The Tamil Nadu Agriculture department has deployed the services of flying squads to find out whether fertilizers are being sold at much higher prices to farmers.

Tamil Nadu Agriculture minister in a statement said that massive inspections have been carried out in shops selling fertilizers following reports that they were being sold at higher prices.

The state agriculture department has also received complaints that many fertilizer shops have been forcing farmers to buy unnecessary fertilizer products.

According to the Agriculture department, 374 flying squads were pressed into service and inspected 6949 places. Of this, 6258 cooperative and private fertilizer selling centres were subjected to inspection. The squad also conducted raids at 514 whole fertilizer shops, 108 fertilizer godowns. Inspections were also conducted at 38 fertilizer manufacturing units, 17 factories and 16 district check posts.

The Agriculture department squad could understand that there were massive discrepancies in the availability of fertilizer in these shops. 36 shops were found selling them without any license.

After the inspection, the flying squad officials canceled the licenses of two shops permanently and suspended ninety-two shops.

Meanwhile the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin has directed the direct procurement centres of the Tamil Nadu Civil services corporation to pay the hiked procurement prices to the Paddy farmers during the Kharif season commencing from September 1.