The Agriculture Ministry has amended the Fertiliser Control Order, 1985, allowing States to proceed against both manufacturers and dealers whenever samples drawn from non-tampered bags fail to meet standards.
A notification from the ministry on Tuesday said the dealer and manufacturer shall both be made party to the case under the Act and proceedings under clause 31 of the order. It has inserted clause 19A in the order to enable this.
While the order had provisions to file complaints against both manufacturers and dealers for selling substandard fertilisers, dealers and manufacturers were passing the buck to each other. Dealers had also requested the government to avoid making them a party to the case as they have no role in the quality of the manufactured items, industry sources said. “The amended order will ensure clarity on liability,” an industry official said.
Digital stock-keeping
The ministry has also allowed dealers to maintain stock records in digital form. “In the said Order, in sub-clause (a) of clause 35, after the word and letter “Form ‘N’,” the following words shall be inserted: or maintain digital stock register in the form which clearly exhibits the date wise stock position, opening balance, receipts during the day, sales during the day and closing stock,’’ the notification said.
According to the draft Integrated Plant Nutrition Management Bill, 2022, floated by the fertiliser ministry last month for public feedback, “any manufacturer, dealer or retailer sells, imports for sale, or markets any fertiliser which has been defined as sub-standard under this Act in a manner that contravenes the rules by which regularisation of such sub-standard fertilisers may be done as set out under sub-section (4) of section 6, he shall be punishable with a fine which may extend to ₹20 lakh.”