GUWAHATI: The criminal investigation department (CID) of Assam Police has arrested nine persons accused in the fertiliser/urea scam in Assam even as a probe into the case is underway.
CID Assam has also registered a criminal case in connection with scam vide CID P.S. Case No. 02/2022 U/S 120B, 420, 468 of IPC and Section 7 of the Essential Commodities (EC) Act to thoroughly investigate the scam.
It may be recalled that chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had directed the CID to conduct a discreet inquiry into the procurement and distribution of fertilisers/urea in Assam and to bring to the fore the alleged irregularities in disbursement and sale of fertilisers/urea in the state.
In this regard, CID Assam had conducted a discreet inquiry in February, 2022 and submitted a report to the government with regard to the large-scale irregularities in disbursement and sale of fertilisers/urea in the state.
After perusing the report, the chief minister directed the CID, Assam to register a criminal case and conduct a thorough investigation.
In this regard, a case was registered and raids were conducted by CID in multiple locations in Morigaon, Kamrup, Darrang, Cachar, Goalpara and Darrang districts recently.
Among the arrested, eight are owners of various retail/wholesale outlets who were selling the urea at a much higher price than the rate prescribed by the government and those who were hoarding the stocks and diverting them to middlemen/traders.
Further, the owner of a truck which was used to transfer the diverted urea has also been arrested.
All the accused have been produced before the CJM Court, Kamrup (Metro) and are presently under CID custody for thorough interrogation.
The investigation conducted so far revealed that both the wholesalers and retailers were selling the fertlisers/urea at a much higher rate.
According to government norms, a bag of urea has to be sold for Rs 266, whereas the arrested wholesalers and retailers have been selling the urea between Rs 350 and Rs 450 per bag.
“Further, inquiry also revealed that these retailers are duty bound to sell the urea only to the farmers of their panchayat, but they have been selling to other people beyond their jurisdiction and also to those who are not farmers. As a result ineligible persons are buying the same for hoarding and diverting the stocks whereas the genuine farmers of that local area are suffering,” a statement from the superintendent of police, CID Assam, said.
Inquiry also revealed that some of the retailers have been hoarding the stocks to create an artificial scarcity and then selling the stocks at a much higher price.
“Further, the retailers are fraudulently selling to traders/middlemen who are diverting the stocks to neighbouring states/countries. Inquiry revealed that several rackets are operating in various districts of Assam. CID has formed several teams for conducting searches and verification of stocks at various locations in the state,” the SP, CID, said.
The investigation conducted so far also revealed that the wholesalers or retailers have not maintained the database of procurement, distribution and sale of urea which is uploaded in an integrated fertiliser management system which has been designed by the ministry of fertilisers and chemicals.
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