Inter-State Check-Posts Set Up To Curb Urea Smuggling

Authorities have set up inter-state check-posts to curb the illegal movement of urea, and cases have been registered against those involved in shifting consignments to Maharashtra. Officials are also scrutinising records of farmers who purchased larger-than-permitted quantities of urea.

Fertiliser shop owners have been instructed to display stock details and pricing, while agriculture officials have been directed to submit daily reports on urea availability. Officials said that by August 19 this year, around 500 metric tonnes of urea had already been sold, higher than the corresponding period last year.

An inter-state check-post has been set up at Parpalli village in Kotapalli mandal, bordering Maharashtra, with joint teams from the revenue, police, and agriculture departments monitoring transport activities.

District collector Kumar Deepak appealed to farmers not to misuse subsidised urea and to ensure it is used strictly for agricultural purposes. He said the administration is maintaining strict vigil on illegal transport to Maharashtra. The state government, he added, is supplying subsidised urea at ₹265 per bag.

Authorities recently seized a vehicle transporting urea to Maharashtra without valid receipts and booked a case under Section 6A of the Essential Commodities Act on August 14. So far, farmers have received two bags of urea out of the required three bags per acre, with the remaining supplies to be distributed shortly, the collector assured.

Meanwhile, Adilabad police on July 18 seized 150 bags (67.5 quintals) of urea worth ₹3 lakh, which were being illegally transported in two vans from Bela mandal headquarters to Maharashtra. Five persons, including Suneel, proprietor of a distribution centre, and Ajay, an employee of Hyderabad Agricultural Co-operative Association (HACA), were arrested.