SIALKOT    -    Sialkot Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Khurram Niazi has said that during the last 24 hours, 2,392 bags of 20-kg and 21,642 bags of 10-kg flour had been provided to 375 registered sale points in the district. According to a press release, a fine of Rs344,000 had been imposed on the owners of two flour mills and 15 shops for violating government rules and regulations. The DC said that seven check posts had been established in four tehsils to stop smuggling of flour while assistant commissioners, food department officers were also regularly checking flour mills and sale points. Meanwhile, Agriculture Extension and Pest Warning Department, Multan has conducted raids

at different places and seized fake fertilizers and pesticides worth Rs5.5 million. In line with special directions of Secretary Agriculture Punjab Ahmed Aziz Tarar, Assistant Director Agriculture Extension, Allah Rakha Sindhu has conducted a successful raid in Chah Safaid Poshwala mouza Bheeni and recovered Rs5 million fertilizer and hundreds of printed bags of different fertilizer companies and other material. Likewise, pest warning and quality control pesticides inspector Wali Khan has raided at agro chemicals and fertilizers shops and recovered rupees five lacs worth fake pesticides. An FIR 1141/22 has been registered against the accused Sajid Hussain with Makhdoom Rasheed police station, while the prosecution has submitted for registration of FIR against M Akbar under Punjab Fertilizer Control Order. The accused were causing irreparable damage to the country’s economy by illegally preparing and packing fake fertilizers and pesticides and supplying them to different parts of the country. The seized fake fertilizers have been taken into custody and handed over to police. Samples of fertilizers and pesticides have been sent to laboratories for analysis. The spokesman for Punjab Agriculture department said that the mafia selling fake agricultural inputs was being dealt with iron hands. Punjab government was following zero tolerance policy regarding fake pesticides business mafia, he added.

STRICT CRACKDOWN AGAINST FAKE FERTILIZER, PESTICIDE DEALERS ORDERED

Multan Commissioner Division Ashfaq Ahmed Chaudhry directed officers concerned to launch a comprehensive crackdown against fake fertilizer and pesticide dealers across the region to ensure availability of good quality products to farmers. Presiding over a meeting to review performance of agriculture department here on Thursday, the commissioner directed officers of the agriculture department to visit field for strict monitoring of the fertilizer and pesticides. He also directed officers concerned to ensure stern action for prevention of smog in the region. He said that the farmers involved in burning crops remains would face strict action against them. He urged officers to ensure all possible arrangements for availability of urea fertilizer on controlled rates and launch strict action against the people involved in black marketing and profiteering of fertilizer. He said that the fertilizer companies would be made bound to submit data of their stocks with commissioner office. Ashfaq Ahmed Chaudhry said that provincial government was striving hard to provide maximum relief to farmers and it should be the duty of agriculture department officers to utilise all possible efforts to make it possible. The commissioner was briefed in the meeting that the agriculture department has conducted 2241 raids during the crackdown against profiteering and black marketing of furtilizer and imposed fine of RS888,500 on profiteers.