Urea black marketing alleged in Assam: Agriculture Department seizes illegally stocked fertiliser in Nagaon

Amid an acute shortage of urea during the peak paddy cultivation season in Assam, the Agriculture Department conducted a raid in Nagaon district's Juria and seized a stock of fertiliser allegedly hoarded for black-market sale.

The action comes in the wake of widespread complaints from farmers across the state, who have alleged that they are being forced to purchase urea at inflated prices due to an artificial scarcity in the market.

In Juria, similar allegations surfaced against unscrupulous traders accused of illegally stockpiling large quantities of urea to create an artificial shortage before selling it at exorbitant rates.

Acting on the complaints, officials of the Agriculture Department raided a shop owned by Sirajul Islam at Dalnijuria and recovered a stock of urea allegedly stored illegally. The seizure triggered considerable public attention in the area.

According to allegations, while the government-fixed price of a bag of urea is Rs 266, the fertiliser is reportedly being sold in the black market for Rs 400 to Rs 500 per bag.

Similar complaints have also emerged from several other districts of Assam, with allegations that thousands of bags of urea are being stored in unlicensed warehouses and sold at inflated prices, causing hardship for farmers during the crucial farming season.

Agriculture Department officials warned that strict legal action would be taken against anyone found hoarding fertilisers or selling them through the black market. They also urged farmers to purchase urea only from government-authorised dealers at the prescribed price.