A high-level meeting between officials of Agriculture and Police Departments decided to immediately constitute 49 task force squads comprising at least three members each to prevent the sale of spurious seed including illegal hybrid cotton seed with herbicide tolerance trait.
The teams will comprise officials from Agriculture Department, State Seeds Corporation and Seed and Organisation Certification Authority with police officers not below the rank of DSP as their nodal officers at district level to conduct checks. They are mandated to conduct surprise checks on seed producers, processors and dealers - including retail sellers - to obtain information about activities involving sale of spurious seed including the illegal herbicide tolerant (HT) cotton seed.
Principal Secretary of Agriculture C. Parthasarathi, who chaired the meeting, said, “Sale of seed for the kharif season usually commences in April and seed companies have already started placing their stocks with the dealers and retailers. Some fly-by-night operators eyeing a quick buck enter the scene, trying to push through spurious and illegal seed using names of unknown and fictitious seed companies to take advantage of ignorant farmers.”
It has already been decided to register cases against the spurious and illegal seed sellers, producers and processors under provisions of the IPC, so as to create a sense of fear.
However, invoking the provisions of Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act, which includes such offences, may be more difficult. Under the Act, the prosecution has to prove the suspects are habitual offenders to attract any punishment, officials of the Seed Certification Authority said.
Inspector General of Police Y. Nagi Reddy, who has a relevant educational background for enforcing the task force, and Director of Seed Certification Authority K. Keshavulu would act as the State coordinators for the special squads.
