Sub-Standard Seeds Being Sold In Bags Of Branded Companies In Balaghat

Balaghat (Madhya Pradesh): An inquiry team set up by collector Mrinal Meena to keep an eye on the sale of seeds and crops came across certain irregularities when the team members inspected a rice mill at Bothwa village in the Katangi sub-division under Tirodi police station.

Nearly 234 quintals of paddy were being put in the bags on which MTU 1010 and IR 64 were printed.

According to sources, when the team inspected the Sai Rice Mill, they found the paddy was being put into the bags on which the name of the Harit Hybrid Seeds Corporation, Balaji Nagar, Hyderabad, was printed.

The team confiscated the paddy worth Rs 2.4 crore, official sources said.

When the team was conducting the inquiry, the director of Sai Rice Mill, Kamnsingh Thakur, said he had rented the rice mill to Harit High-breed Seeds Hyderabad for a month.

The representative of the company, Preetam Bopche, a resident of Baldogri Tehsil, Tirodi, packed paddy seeds in the bags carrying the names of ATU 1010 and IR 64.

Bopche failed to show any records to the inquiry team. The officials also confiscated a large number of empty bags on which Harit High-breed Seeds, Hyderabad, was printed.

When the Harit Hybrid Seeds Corporation in Hyderabad was contacted, they said the company Bopche represents was illegally selling the seeds.

A case was registered against Bopche, and the police were probing the case, sources further said.

The agent was selling the seeds to the farmers at the rates, five times more than the market value. Besides, the farmers do not get non-standard seeds.