North Lakhimpur: The Lakhimpur district unit of Assam Small Tea Growers Association has complained of gross anomalies in the sale of state subsidised fertilizers. 

In a memorandum to the Lakhimpur Deputy Commissioner, the president of the district unit of ASTGA Tarun Borthakur and secretary Rajen Hazarika has alleged that government-licensed fertilizer dealers have been selling the fertilizer to farmers at higher prices depriving them of subsidized rates.

They informed the district authority that never a single kg of subsidized fertilizer supplied by the government to the farmers was sold by the government licensed fertilizer dealers in Lakhimpur at a subsidized price. 

The ASTGA also alleged that the sellers threaten not to provide fertilizers if anyone had asked for ‘receipt’ when buying fertilizer.

The ASTGA alleged that the sellers refuse receipts by saying that the fertilizer was not supplied by the government. As a result, farmers are being forced to buy fertilizers at higher prices of Rs. 15 to Rs. 24 per kg without the receipt, complained ASTGA. 

Farhana Ahmed is Northeast Now Correspondent in North Lakhimpur. She can be reached at: [email protected]