Minister of State for Agriculture Krishna Byre Gowda on Wednesday announced in the Legislative Assembly that the Police Department would conduct a probe into the sale of spurious fertilizers in some parts of the State.
In his reply to the issue raised by C.T. Ravi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during Zero Hour, he said five persons have been arrested in connection with sale of spurious potash by the Primary Agricultural Credit Cooperative Society (PACCS) of Hanbal, Sakleshpur taluk in Hassan district and Gubbi taluk of Tumkur district.
Besides the secretary of PACCS, cases have been registered against Milan Gowda, Ashok, Naganna and Palaksha.
“Salt was coloured and sold as potash to farmers. The Cooperative Department has been asked to initiate action against the society in question,” he said.
Noting that the department had received information of sale of spurious fertilizer in other parts of the State too, a systematic network was behind the supply, Mr. Byre Gowda said. Deputy Commissioners of some districts had been directed to test the quality of fertilizer supplied and submit a report.
He said he had conducted a video conference with the Joint Director of Agriculture and ordered a detailed probe into the matter.
