In a strict crackdown on the illegal diversion of subsidized agricultural inputs, the Haryana Agriculture Department has suspended the licence of a private fertiliser firm. The action was initiated after an audit revealed a suspicious timing mismatch between the generation of e-bills and the actual physical dispatch of stock.
The Discrepancy The irregularity came to light during a cross-verification of the Integrated Fertilisers Management System (iFMS) data and the firm’s physical transit logs.
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Timing Gap: The department found that e-bills were being generated significantly after the delivery trucks had already left the facility, or in some instances, bills were created for stock that had not yet moved.
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Suspected Black Marketing: Authorities suspect this “timing gap” was being used to cover up the diversion of subsidized urea to industrial units (such as plywood or chemical factories) where urea is much more expensive.
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POS Misuse: The report also mentions potential misuse of Point of Sale (POS) machines to create “ghost” transactions in the names of farmers who never actually received the fertiliser.
Administrative Consequences The department has taken the following immediate steps:
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Suspension of Sale: The firm is now barred from selling or distributing any fertilisers in the state.
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Stock Seizure: All existing inventory at the firm’s godowns has been sealed by the local district authorities.
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Show-Cause Notice: The firm has been given a deadline to explain the electronic trail discrepancies, failing which their licence may be permanently revoked and an FIR registered.
Impact on Farmers To ensure that genuine farmers do not face a shortage during the peak rabi season, the department has diverted the sealed stock to local Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) for fair distribution at government-approved rates.
