BHAKTAPUR: The District Administration Office (DAO) in Bhaktapur took decisive action against shops involved in black marketing of chemical fertilizers.
In a recent operation, the DAO raided and sealed a shop that was found selling fertilizer at an exorbitant price to farmers.
The shop, located at Kamal Binayak in Bhaktapur Municipality-10, was targeted by a team led by Assistant Chief District Officer Dolendra Niraula. Acting on consumer complaints about the sale of subsidized fertilizers in the black market, the team took swift action against the accused shop on Friday.
Chief District Officer (CDO) Khagendra Rijal confirmed that the shop, owned by Nhuchhebhakta Katubhaju, was selling illegally imported fertilizer from India at an inflated price of Rs 2,100 per sack. During the raid, the team confiscated a total of 129 sacks of the overpriced fertilizer. The shop was subsequently sealed, and further investigation into the matter has been initiated.
CDO Rijal revealed that the proprietor, Katubhaju, failed to produce any purchase bills for the fertilizers. Instead, he was found providing buyers with bills falsely indicating Agro World Lalitpur as the source. The authorities are determined to hold Katubhaju accountable for his involvement in the illegal trade.
In light of this incident, the DAO, Bhaktapur, is now planning to conduct surprise monitoring of other markets where fertilizers are being sold. They urge consumers to report any suspected cases of black marketing of fertilizers to the office promptly.
The crackdown on black marketing of fertilizers reflects the DAO’s commitment to maintaining fair market practices and ensuring that essential agricultural inputs are available to farmers at reasonable prices.
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