HC orders govt to release seized cotton seeds

Cuttack: The Orissa high court has ordered the agriculture department to release a consignment of cotton seeds confiscated a month ago as they are perishable and will be of no use if not released as the agriculture season will be over by the time the petition challenging the seizure is disposed of.
Agriculture department officials had cited the Centre’s Covid-19 guidelines and seized a consignment of 5,000 packets of cotton seeds weighing around 22.5 quintals that had reached the Titlagarh railway station from Ahmedabad on May 17.
Sukun Seeds Pvt Ltd (SSPL),which had sent the consignment worth Rs 36.5 lakh in response to order placed by a Patnagarh-based trader had since filed a petition challenging the seizure.
Acting on it, the court issued notices returnable within three weeks to the state government and central government while posting the matter for hearing along with responses after four weeks.
In the interim order, Justice K R Mohapatra directed for the release of the seized cotton seeds to SSPL on the condition that the seeds will only be used for farming.
“The petitioner (SSPL) shall adequately compensate the price of the articles seized as well as pay fine and penalty, if imposed on it in accordance with the law; and shall cooperate with the authorities for the proceedings, if initiated, for transportation of the cotton seeds seized”, Justice Mohapatra said in his June 12 order, a copy of which was available on Thursday.
The company argued in court that the cotton seeds were being transported from Ahmedabad to Titlagarh under valid permission for farming and agriculture. Besides, movement of articles for the purpose of farming and agriculture was not restricted by Covid-19 guidelines issued both by the Centre and state government when the cotton seeds were seized.