NAGPUR: The Yavatmal district police have booked five Krishi Kendra owners for allegedly selling unauthorised products to farmers.
Over the past month, 19 farmers and farm labourers have died owing to improper spraying of insecticides on Bt cotton plantations in Yavatmal district. Over 600 cases of insecticide infection have been reported and hundreds of farmers are being treated in hospitals in the district for visual impairment, nausea and other health complications.
Authorities said indiscriminate use of wrong combinations of insecticides, and lack of protective gear were to blame.
In a press statement, the Yavatmal district police said, “Since August this year, 19 people died have died owing to infection contracted after spraying pesticides in Yavatmal. The police department registered cases of sudden death and began an investigation. The Agriculture Department inspected Krishi Kendras and found that in five cases, farmers and farm labourers died as they used pesticides that are not permitted to be sold in the market. FIRs have been registered against five Krishi Kendra owners.”
The owners who have been booked include Pravin Bhelonde of Agro Krishi Kendra in Darhava town, Pritam Rathi of Ankita Krishi Kendra in Ladkhed village, Sanjay Raja of Jalaram Krishi Kendra in Kalamb town, Dilip Dhondopant of Vaibhav Krishi Kendra, and Ashok Bhavare of Pragati Krishi Kendra in Vadgoan town. All five have been booked under Section 304 (A) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 29 of the Insecticide Act, 1968.
Suresh Chavhan, Agriculture Officer, Pandharakwada Panchayat Samiti, has recommended action against Krishi Vaibhav Kendra in Pandharkwada town and its owner Deepak Papatriwar for selling unauthorised pesticides.
