Kathmandu. GULMI — Black marketing of chemical fertilizers has rampant in Kaligandaki rural municipality of Gulmi district.

Secretary of the New Progressive Agriculture Cooperatives, Prem Narayan Pandey, said that the government subsidized chemical fertilizers were sold through private shops at a higher price than cooperatives.

Minister for Agriculture, Forest and Environment Gita Chaudhary launched a raid on the complaint hotline number to check irregularities in the distribution of chemical fertilizers.

Minister for Agriculture, Forest and Environment Gita Chaudhary said that the local administration raided the chemical fertilizer hotline 9700099113 and found irregularities in the sale and distribution of chemical fertilizers.

As per the agreement signed on June 29 from the Agriculture Inputs Company, Bhairahawa, the cooperatives were supposed to import 535 sacks of urea and 171 sacks of DAP fertilizer.

It was claimed that 601 sacks of fertilizer have been transported so far and 105 sacks of urea are yet to arrive. However, it was found that the fertiliser, which should have been distributed through cooperatives, was being sold in private shops and not from the cooperative office.

According to Nepal Police, fertiliser was sold in front of Nilkantha Pandey’s shop at Harmichaur of Kaligandaki rural municipality-1, grocery shop run by Kamal Prasad Neupane and Umapati Neupane at Arbeni of Kaligandaki rural municipality-2 and in front of a stationery shop run by Nirmaya Budha of Kaligandaki rural municipality-4.

In addition, the consumers were not given receipts while selling the fertiliser and the records of the buyers were not maintained. Further investigation into the case is underway, said the District Police Office, Gulmi.