Sir,
I would like to highlight the issue of regulation of sale and application of pesticides in our state with particular reference to district Rajouri. To mention here the sale of pesticides is regulated by the Insecticides Act of 1968 which has been amended from time to time. As per this Act no person can stock and sell the pesticides without a valid licence which is to be issued by the concerned Plant Protection Officer of the state agriculture department. As per existing precedence, there is hardly any educational qualification prescribed for getting a licence. But with the passage of time many new things call for Amendments in the existing law. Accordingly, the Insecticides amendment Act 2014 was passed which has prescribed B.Sc. Agriculture as minimum educational qualification for getting licence for the sale of pesticides which is a welcome act.
But in our state the traditional system prevails and even non matriculate persons are holding the licence and selling the Insecticides to farmers without any prescription by a competent authority Viz an agricultural extension officer. By doing so they are putting the concerned farmers as well as the consumers fruit and vegetables to great risk. All of the pesticides are pest specific and are to be used with due care and precautions. The illiterate seller can’t prescribe the proper dose and method of application of pesticides. So it quite wrong and illegal to sell the pesticides without any prescription by the concerned authorities of Agriculture /Horticulture department.
To my personal knowledge and experience the pesticides dealers are selling the Insecticides to farmers without any prescription by the concerned authorities as if the pesticides were like any item of grossory in Rajouri, Nowshera and other areas of district Rajouri. Although there is one post of Enforcement Inspector in every district, yet they don’t bother to look into such matters which is very bad
Hence I would like to suggest in the best interest of public that the sale of pesticides without any prescription should be banned by the concerned authorities of agriculture department so that there may not be any risk in use of pesticides especially in fruit and vegetables crops.
O P Sharma
Bagnoti Nowshera
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