Mumbai, August 24: Authorities in Kalaburagi, Karnataka, have uncovered a network involved in the black marketing of fertilizers. A raid on a warehouse located in the Kappanur Industrial Area resulted in the seizure of 1,400 bags of urea, allegedly stockpiled for sale at inflated prices.
Following a tip-off, a team comprising agricultural department officials, the tehsildar, and police inspected the warehouse. They confiscated a substantial quantity of stock and have filed a case against the warehouse operator.
Kavita, the assistant director of the vigilance wing of the agricultural department, stated that they received complaints about illegal fertilizer storage, which included subsidized urea bags.
“We were informed that some illegal fertilizers were stored here, including subsidized urea bags. It was also reported that some bags lacked subsidy markings and that urea was being packed in plain white bags. Therefore, we came here and found a large quantity of subsidized urea—over 1,000 bags, approximately 1,400 bags, although the exact count is still underway,” Kavita explained.
She noted that the warehouse contained bags from three to four different companies. It appeared that subsidized urea was being repackaged for industrial use, as the white bags bore labels indicating technical-grade urea, which is used exclusively in industries.
Kavita added, “To my knowledge, this warehouse does not have a license. There is no indication of which warehouse it is or what type of fertilizer it contains. The urea that should be provided to farmers was being repackaged here for industrial use.” The administration has sealed the warehouse and initiated an investigation into the matter.
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