In an attempt to give relief to the farmers, the government has been providing subsidy to the farmers on fertilizers since last year but the farmers have been denied the relief due to some unscrupulous traders and officials. [break]
Agriculture Inputs Company (AIC), the state-owned distributor of agriculture inputs, and local cooperatives are entrusted with distributing the subsidized fertilizers to farmers throughout the country. Local traders are involved in selling fertilizers at the prices which are almost double the subsidized prices.
Khadga Giri, a farmer in Maunabudhuk of Dhankuta, complained that subsidized fertilizers, DAP and Urea are being sold at Rs 2,100 and Rs 1,500 per 50 kg sack, respectively. The subsidized prices of DAP and Urea are however Rs 1460 and Rs 722 per sack, respectively.
However, Chandra Prasad Poudel, chief of AIC´s district office, claimed that he was not aware of the irregularity. Farmers have been complaining that they are compelled to buy subsidized fertilizers at far higher prices than the government-set rates due to acute shortage of fertilizers in the district.
“Traders are selling counterfeit fertilizers using logo and sacks of AIC. They are working on directed collusion with cooperatives and government employees,” said Yagya Bahadur Karki, a farmer at Dhankuta Municipality-2.
Chief District Officer Kali Prasad Parajuli, who is also the coordinator of district level committee to regulate the distribution of fertilizers, said no one have so far registered a complaint with his office against the irregularity.
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