DK ZP teams to check illegal sale of fertilisers

Mangalore, October 21: Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat will soon have a vigilance squad to check illegal sale of fertilizers in the open market.

Considering the seriousness of the issue of sale of fertilisers in open market illegally and the impact it has on farmers, the Zilla Panchayat has resolved to constitute squads to keep a vigil on the same.

The decision was taken during the general body meeting of the Zilla Panchayat held on Thursday at the ZP hall, with ZP Chief Shailaja Bhat in chair.

The squad with officials from the agriculture department, horticulture department and Zilla Panchayat with the help of police will visit private dealers who sell fertilisers at higher price.

Congress member K S Devaraj brought to the notice of the chair that while co-operative societies and horticulture department outlets sell only urea and suphala, these outlets do not have the array of varities that is available with the private agents in the district.

“These private agents sell fertilisers at a much higher price, thereby exploiting the farmers,” he said.

Responding to the same, ZP Chief Executive Officer K N Vijayprakash said that this matter needs to be brought to the notice of the police and the district administration.

The CEO directed officials of the agriculture department to prepare statistics of total quantity of fertilisers released by the government and the actual demand in the district. “Furnish details regarding the quantity of fertilisers supplied to co-operative societies in the district,”he added.

Arecadiseases Rot and yellow leaf disease in areca plantation became a matter of discussion during the meeting. When members from Sullia taluk said that six villages have been affected by these diseases leaving the growers in lurch, Vijayaprakash said that the government has released Rs 2.82 crore to compensate the losses incurred to areca nut growers due to fruit rot and yellow leaf diseases through Revival scheme.

He said that a total of 1,882 hectares of arecanut farms in the district have been affected due to yellow leaf disease. Meanwhile, 27,668 hectares of farms were affected by fruit rot disease. There was a drastic reduction of 45.5 per cent in the areca nut yield due to these diseases, he said adding that a proposal of Rs 172 crore has been sent to the government to solve the crisis.

He further said that under the revival schemes, the planters can plant another saplings in the place of affected tree but the indepth study of the issue has shown that replanting of new sapling in same place affects the new sapling with the disease.

Show cause

The CEO directed the officials to issue show cause notice to Bantwal Block Education Officer (BEO) K Sudhakara as he has allegedly failed to furnish necessary information with regard to usage of Rs four lakh for development of a school at Montepadavu in Bantwal taluk.

ZP member Santhosh Kumar had said that though records show that Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat Government Higher Primary School in Montepadavu has been provided a new building at a cost of Rs four lakh, a new building has not been constructed for the school.

Vijayaprakash took Sudhakara to task when he failed to give details about the issue and warned him of stern action in case he fails to reply to the show cause notice.

Disposal in 15 days

The CEO said that taking the hope of the CM that all the files in the offices should be cleared within 15 days, he has personally started following the same promptly. Steps have been taken by the CEO to see to it that the officials do not make people run from pillar to post for signatures.