**Executive Summary**
The document is a response to an unstarred question in Lok Sabha regarding actions taken to curb black marketing, hoarding, and smuggling of fertilizers during the Rabi season of 2025–26. The response, dated February 13, 2026, outlines measures taken by the Government of India and State Governments under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, and the Fertilizer Control Order, 1985, including monitoring, raids, and inspections. The document also includes an annexure presenting a cumulative statement of actions taken by State Governments from April 2025 to February 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Legal Framework & Authority**
* Fertilizers are declared essential commodities under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.
* Actions are governed by the Fertilizer Control Order, 1985.
* State Governments are empowered to take action against malpractices under the EC Act.
* **Government Monitoring & Enforcement**
* The Government of India, in consultation with State Governments, regularly monitors enforcement actions against black marketing, hoarding, sub-standard fertilizers, and diversion.
* Border states conduct joint inspections with State Agriculture Officers, surprise raids, and stock verification.
* Enforcement is strengthened through inspections of manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers.
* Special drives are conducted against overpricing and diversion.
* Monitoring of stocks and movement occurs, and quality testing of samples is conducted.
* Urea Diversion Prevention Campaigns are implemented.
* **Enforcement Statistics (Since April 2025)**
* 430,541 raids were conducted across states.
* 15,544 show cause notices were issued.
* 6,620 licenses were suspended/cancelled.
* 794 FIRs were registered against defaulters.
* An annexure provides a detailed statement on actions taken by State Governments to address black marketing, hoarding, quality control, and diversion of fertilizers.
**Impact Analysis**
**State Governments**
* **Impact:** Required to implement and enforce the Essential Commodities Act and Fertilizer Control Order to prevent malpractices related to fertilizers.
* **Action Required:** Conduct inspections, raids, and stock verification; issue show cause notices; suspend/cancel licenses; register FIRs; report actions to the Government of India.
**Fertilizer Manufacturers, Wholesalers, Retailers**
* **Impact:** Subject to regular inspections, monitoring of stocks and movement, and quality testing. Potential for penalties, including suspension or cancellation of licenses and registration of FIRs.
* **Action Required:** Ensure compliance with regulations; maintain accurate records of stock and movement; adhere to pricing guidelines; cooperate with inspections.
**Farmers**
* **Impact:** Affected by availability and pricing of fertilizers. Actions aim to ensure fair access to quality fertilizers and prevent exploitation.
* **Action Required:** Report any instances of black marketing, hoarding, or overpricing to the relevant authorities.
Key Entities Referenced
Essential Commodities Act, 1955: Act under which fertilizers are declared as an essential commodity to curb black-marketing, hoarding, and smuggling.
Fertilizer Control Order, 1985: Order under which fertilizers are notified and under which actions against malpractices are taken.
Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers: Primary ministry responsible for matters related to fertilizers, including curbing black marketing.
State Government: Responsible for taking action against persons involved in malpractices related to fertilizers.
Nepal: A neighboring country; border districts near Nepal mentioned in context of fertilizer smuggling.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
DEPARTMENT OF FERTILIZERS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2473 TO BE ANSWERED ON: 13.02.2026
Curb on Black Marketing of Fertilisers
2473: SHRI SASIKANTH SENTHIL:
Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has taken any steps to curb black marketing, hoarding
and smuggling of chemical fertilisers during the Rabi season of 2025–26, if so,
the details thereof;
(b) whether any raids have been conducted by the Government against fertiliser
dealers for sale irregularities, particularly in border districts (such as near Nepal);
and
(c) if so, the details of FIRs registered and licences cancelled/suspended?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS & FERTILIZERS
(SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)
(a) to (c) In order to address the issues such as black-marketing, hoarding and
smuggling, fertilizers are declared as an essential commodity under the Essential
Commodities Act, 1955 and notified under Fertilizer Control Order, 1985. State
Governments are empowered to take action against persons involved in said
malpractices, as per provisions of EC Act. Any complaints received at Department of
Fertilizers level regarding these malpractices are sent to concerned State Government
to take appropriate action under Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and Fertilizer
Control Order, 1985.
Accordingly, the Government of India in consultation with the State Government is
regularly monitoring the enforcement action taken by State Government against the
cases of Black marketing, Hoarding, Sub-standard and Diversion. The States having
border districts with neighbouring countries have reported that, to prevent such
malpractices, joint inspections with State Agriculture Officers, surprise raids, and stock
verification of dealers were conducted, and action was taken under the Essential
Commodities Act and the Fertilizer Control Order (FCO), 1985. Further, enforcement
was strengthened through regular inspections of manufacturers,-2-
wholesalers, and retailers; special drives against overpricing and diversion; monitoring
of stocks and movement; quality testing of samples; and implementation of Urea
Diversion Prevention Campaigns.
Further, across the States, Since April 2025, 4,30,541 raids have been conducted with
15,544 show cause notices issued, 6,620 licenses suspended/cancelled and 794 FIRs
registered against defaulters. The statement indicating the number of cases of Black
marketing, Hoarding, Sub-standard and Diversion of fertilizers reported by the State
Government is placed at Annexure.
*******-3-
Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) to (c ) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No 2473 for answering on 13.02.2026
Annexure-
Cumulative Statement from April 25 to February 26 (as on 06.02.2026)
Action taken by the State Government to check black marketing, hoarding, quality check, diversion etc during the Kharif season from April 2025 to February 2026 as on date (06.02.2026)
Black Marketing Hoarding Sub Standard Quality Diversion Total
Convicti
Show No. of FIR Show No. of FIR Show No. of FIR Show No. of FIR Show No. of
No. of on with
cause licenses registered cause licenses registered cause licenses registe cause licenses registe cause licenses FIR
States Inspectio notice cancelle notice cancelle notice cancelle red notice cancelle red details* notice cancelle registe
ns issued d/su issued d/su issued d/su issued d/su issued d/su red
/raids spended spended spended spended spended
Andhra Pradesh 21631 80 10 9 196 11 19 354 0 0 19 4 12 NIL 649 25 40
Arunachal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 NIL 0 0 0
Pradesh
Assam 4864 12 6 1 59 0 0 46 1 0 27 0 0 NIL 144 7 1
Bihar 23443 1264 797 117 7 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 NIL 1277 797 117
Chhattisgarh 6975 295 13 4 29 1 0 145 5 0 24 0 0 NIL 493 19 4
Dadar & Nagar 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 NIL 0 0 0
Delhi 355 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 3 0 NIL 3 3 1
Goa 619 544 180 6 10 0 0 32 1 0 16 0 0 NIL 602 181 6
Gujarat 16480 56 3 1 25 0 0 131 2 0 19 4 11 NIL 231 9 12
Haryana 5139 65 15 10 24 20 5 51 12 6 13 5 6 NIL 153 52 27
Himachal 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 NIL 0 0 0
Pradesh
Jammu & 4855 143 44 2 34 3 0 67 2 0 8 0 0 NIL 252 49 2
Kashmir
Jharkhand 759 57 20 11 32 4 0 2 0 0 1 1 0 NIL 92 25 11
Karnataka 8824 368 25 1 243 5 0 246 14 2 96 6 8 NIL 953 50 11
Kerala 1608 0 0 0 0 0 0 50 0 0 4 0 4 NIL 54 0 4
Madhya Pradesh 6110 0 0 92 0 0 0 744 44 4 729 160 15 NIL 1473 204 111
Maharashtra 49007 16 0 16 0 0 0 1704 1354 44 1 73 2 NIL 1721 1427 62
Manipur 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 NIL 1 0 0
Meghalaya 707 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 NIL 0 0 0
Mizoram 37 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 NIL 6 0 0
Nagaland 78 14 0 14 0 0 0 101 0 0 2 64 1 NIL 117 64 15
Odisha 7640 4 3 2 0 0 0 55 1 1 2084 110 4 NIL 2143 114 7
Puducherry 52 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 NIL 0 0 0
Punjab 6513 37 1 1 20 0 1 307 93 3 5 0 6 NIL 369 94 11
Rajasthan 11938 652 118 48 74 40 34 512 1 2 27 22 27 NIL 1265 181 111
Tamilnadu 21342 14 0 4 6 8 0 33 25 0 112 17 1 NIL 165 50 5
Telangana 135052 5 9 3 4 2 0 128 0 0 4 0 5 NIL 141 11 8
Tripura 803 0 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 NIL 9 0 0
Uttar Pradesh 42548 2480 2951 183 164 139 11 167 161 20 88 7 14 3 2899 3258 228
Uttarakhand 510 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 43 0 0 NIL 43 0 0
West Bengal 52634 0 0 0 0 0 0 289 0 0 0 0 0 NIL 289 0 0
Total 430541 6108 4195 526 936 233 70 5173 1716 82 3327 476 116 3 15544 6620 794