Vigilance Department raids seed outlets in Telangana

HYDERABAD/KHAMMAM/ADILABAD: The Vigilance & Enforcement Department, on Saturday, conducted raids on seed outlets across the State to curb the supply and sale of spurious seeds. During the raids, 229.55 quintals of BT cotton, soybean and other seeds, 74.3 MTS of fertilisers and 268 kg of pesticides, all worth Rs 58 lakh were seized from the shops. 

Criminal cases were registered against three outlets in Mahabubabad district and one in Jayashankar-Bhupalpally district for storing and selling expired seeds, fertilizers and pesticides. Additionally, cases were registered against thirteen outlets under the Essential Commodities Act for running unauthorised godowns among other violations.

Meanwhile, the Rachakonda police busted a network supplying spurious and expired seeds in Vanasthalipuram, Hayathnagar and LB Nagar on Saturday. Three persons were arrested and stocks worth Rs 1.16 crore were seized in a joint operation by the Special Operations Team and Agriculture Department. The accused persons were supplying fake seeds of various vegetables to farmers, said Rachakonda commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat. 

Another spurious seed selling racket was busted in Khammam district. The Khammam police seized Rs 1, 43, 72,000 worth of 7,186 fake chilly packets from three seed shops. Three persons have been arrested, while four others involved in the case are on the run.

The Ramagundam task force police raided six shops and seized 21 quintals of spurious seeds worth Rs 51 lakh. Nine people were arrested, said Ramagundam Commissioner of Police V Satyanarayana. He said that seven teams of the Police and Agriculture Department officials simultaneously raided these shops at Mancherial, CCC Naspur, Nenal, Thalagurjala, Kannapelli and Bheemini mandals of Mancherial district.