Terming the clarifications as ridiculous, farmers have demanded impartial inquiry into the matter.
Gujarat government blamed loss of moisture and technical error for a lack in the required weight of fertilizers by Gujarat State Fertilizer Company (GSFC). It has formed two committees to prevent re-ocurrance. Terming the clarifications as ridiculous, farmers have demanded impartial inquiry into the matter.
In a press statement on Monday, government said that GSFC is a 57-year-old company and lacking of optimal weight is unintentional. "The shortfall in weight could be because of loss of moisture. The moisture content in DAP can be about 2.5 per cent. This content falls due to change in temperature during the transport. As per our estimates weight shortfall could be 100-150 gms in a bag of 50 kg," it said.
It ruled out any wrong doing and blamed the lesser weighing of fertilzer bags to technical error. "No tampering with the bags has been detected. Two committees have been formed to prevent re-occurance of such incidents and will submit the report within a week," it said.
It also said that as a precautionary measure, weigh in motion technology will be used instead of random checking. Time and date of packing will also be mentioned. In case of complaints from farmers, the company will exchange the bag.
Jayesh Patel, president of Khedut Samaj Gujarat termed the clarifications by government as absurd and demanded an impartial inquiry. "Any moisture in phosphatic and nitrogenous fertilizers would lead to formation of lumps. Fertilizers are imported and if the wrong doing was deliberate and has happened at ports should be investigated," said Patel. He added that lack of weight in lakhs of bags cannot be accidental and amounts to negligence. "Weigh motion technology is already used, so the government is not doing anything extra. If government says that from now time and date of packaging will be mentioned, it means that it was not mentioned till now and this is lack of compliance of packaging guidelines," he said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Farmer")
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}