1,300MT fertilizer stored in Vaishali godown sold illegally

PATNA: More than 1,300 metric tonne (MT) of potash-based fertilizer worth Rs 2.27 crore, stored in a private facility at Kataru Chak-Mohammadpur village under Belsar police outpost in Vaishali district, was allegedly sold on black market. The fertilizers were manufactured by Mosaic, a US-based firm.
The fertilizers were meant for supply to farmers across the state at subsidised rates and the government was supposed to pay the US firm for it.The storage facility is owned by a local private firm.
As per the US firm’s complaint, a copy of which is with TOI, they first got hint about foul play in August this year. The representatives of the firm complained that fertilizers were stolen from the godown and sold on black market.
Altogether 2,761MT fertilizer was sent to the godown by train in December 2020 from a seaport in India.
The representatives of the US firm met Vaishali SP (incharge) Ashok Kumar Singh at his office on Saturday evening to lodge an FIR after their complaint was allegedly not accepted at Belsar police outpost. The SP then directed the sadar SDPO Raghav Dayal to investigate the matter and take necessary action.
Dayal told TOI over phone on Tuesday that the representatives of the US firm have been asked to submit a written complaint by Wednesday at Belsar. “Since they had submitted the photocopy of the complaint letter to the SP, the FIR could not be registered,” Dayal said.
Vaishali DAO A K Jha said one Pankaj Singh and his wife own the godown in which the US firm keeps its fertilizers for supply among farmers through wholesalers and retailers.
“The US firm has complained that more than 1,300MT potash-based fertiliser was sold on the black market. I served notices on Pankaj twice and asked him to inspect the stock. Replying to the first notice, Pankaj said he had tested positive for Covid. He has so far not replied to the second notice,” Jha added.