MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE
‡ãðŠãäÓã ½ãâ¨ããè (SHRI RADHA MOHAN SINGH)
(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 321 DUE FOR REPLY ON 11TH AUGUST, 2015.
(a): This Department receives complaints from various sources regarding supply of spurious pesticides / weedicides / fertilizers. The Central and State Governments have notified under Section 20 of Insecticides Act, 1968 as many as 168 and 11645 number of Insecticides Inspectors respectively, to carry out inspections of manufacturing, storage and sale points etc, draw samples of pesticides and have them analyzed with the help of notified Pesticide Analysts. Prosecution is initiated in competent courts of law in cases of violations of the provisions of the Insecticides Act, 1968. This Act has also vested State Governments with legal authority to investigate complaints and take legal action against offenders.
Samples of fertilisers are drawn periodically by fertiliser inspectors of State Governments from dealers/wholesalers and manufacturers to check their quality as per the parameters prescribed in the Fertiliser (Control) Order, (FCO), 1985. In case of imported fertilisers, the fertiliser inspectors of the Central Government draw samples from ships/containers at ports.
(b): The details of number of samples of various pesticides/weedicides tested and found to be substandard during the last three years and during the current year at Regional Pesticides Testing Laboratories (RPTLs), State Pesticides Testing Laboratories (SPTLs) and those collected by Central Insecticides Inspectors are annexed (Annexure-I, II & III).
State-wise details of number of fertilizer samples analyzed and found not in conformity with the parameters laid down in the said Order during the years 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 are at Annexure IV, V & VI respectively.
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(c): Details of prosecutions initiated as per provisions of the Insecticides Act, 1968 are at Annexure-VII & VIII.
Details of follow-up action taken by State Governments in respect of samples of fertilizers found not in conformity with the quality parameters during the years 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 are given at Annexure IX, X & XI respectively.
(d) & (e): The Insecticide Inspectors notified by the Central and State Governments under the Insecticides Act, 1968 are required to inter alia, carry out periodic inspections of all establishments licensed to manufacture and sell pesticides, to have samples of the product analyzed and initiate prosecution wherever the case so warrants. These measures have been put in place to ensure quality assurance of pesticides. However, there is no price control mechanism for pesticides.
To ensure availability of quality fertilizers to the farmers at reasonable price, the fertilizer was declared as an essential commodity in 1957. In sequel, the Fertilizer (Control) Order (FCO) has been promulgated under section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act (ECA), 1955 to regulate quality, price, trade and distribution of fertilizers in the country. The specifications of all the fertilizers are prescribed in the said Order. No person shall import for sale, sell, offer for sale, stock or exhibit for sale or distribute any fertilizer which is not notified in the FCO or not of standard prescribed in the FCO. State Governments are empowered to take appropriate administrative and legal action under the FCO and the ECA respectively.
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