Reports have come in indicating that something fishy is going on in the Directorate of Agriculture, Kashmir. It is all about the Director trying to favour some of the suppliers of insecticides, pesticides and weedicides, some of which are suspected to be misbranded. The row appeared when the Quality Control Laboratory, Lal Mandi, Kashmir found that out of 320 samples of insecticides etc. 26 were misbranded. It appears that through an unjustifiable administrative measure the Director of Agriculture wanted to accommodate the erring supplying companies. In the process, three agricultural analysts considered taking of fresh samples from misbranded products contrary to the clauses of the Insecticides Act and declined to cooperate in what they considered illegal act. The Director ordered their attachment.
This is a case in which suspecting finger is raised towards the Director of Agriculture Kashmir. He is accused of behaving in an arbitrary manner and trying to illegally favour erring companies that supply insecticides. This seems a case of corrupt practices being encouraged in a Government Department and as such the Minister for Agriculture should immediately suspend the officials involved and set up an enquiry to find out if the case can be sent to the Vigilance Commission for further action.
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