Executive Summary:
This document presents the Indian government's response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3339 regarding the monitoring and prevention of fertilizer hoarding and black marketing during the Kharif season. It outlines the measures taken by the government and state governments, including punitive actions, during the period from April 1, 2025, to August 1, 2025. The document also provides a state-wise annexure detailing the number of inspections, raids, show cause notices, FIRs, license suspensions/cancellations, and convictions related to such activities.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Legal Framework:**
* Fertilizer is declared an essential commodity under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.
* The Fertilizer Control Order (FCO), 1985, and the Fertilizer Movement Control Order, 1973, are in effect.
* **State Government Empowerment:**
* State governments are empowered under the FCO to prevent black marketing and hoarding of fertilizers.
* States can take punitive action against individuals or companies violating the Essential Commodities Act and FCO provisions.
* **Enforcement Actions (April 1, 2025 - August 1, 2025):**
* A cumulative statement from April 2025 to August 2025, as of August 1, 2025, details actions taken by states.
* The annexure includes the number of inspections, raids, show cause notices issued, FIRs registered, licenses suspended/cancelled, and convictions related to black marketing and hoarding.
Impact Analysis:
* **State Governments:**
* *Impact:* Responsible for monitoring, preventing, and taking action against fertilizer hoarding and black marketing within their jurisdiction.
* *Action Required:* Utilize the powers under the FCO and Essential Commodities Act to enforce regulations, conduct inspections, investigate violations, and take punitive measures as necessary.
* **Fertilizer Companies/Dealers:**
* *Impact:* Subject to scrutiny and potential penalties for engaging in black marketing or hoarding of fertilizers.
* *Action Required:* Ensure compliance with the FCO and other relevant regulations, maintain accurate records, and avoid practices that could be construed as hoarding or black marketing.
* **Farmers:**
* *Impact:* Directly affected by the availability and pricing of fertilizers; protected from unfair practices like hoarding and black marketing.
* *Action Required:* Report any instances of suspected hoarding or black marketing to the appropriate authorities.
Key Entities Referenced
Fertilizer Control Order, 1985: A regulatory order under which fertilizer is declared as an essential commodity.
Fertilizer Movement Control Order, 1973: A regulatory order related to the movement and distribution of fertilizers.
Essential Commodities Act, 1955: An act empowering state governments to prevent black marketing and hoarding of essential commodities, including fertilizers.
Kharif season: The agricultural season during which the monitoring and prevention of fertilizer hoarding/black marketing are of concern.
SHRI ANANTA NAYAK: Member of Parliament who raised a question regarding hoarding of fertilizer.
SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL: The Minister of State in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers who provided the answer to the Lok Sabha question.
Andhra Pradesh: A state in India from which data on fertilizer black marketing/hoarding cases was received.
Bihar: A state in India from which data on fertilizer black marketing/hoarding cases was received.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
DEPARTMENT OF FERTILIZERS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3339 TO BE ANSWERED ON: 08.08.2025
Hoarding of Fertliser
3339: SHRI ANANTA NAYAK:
SHRI ANUP SANJAY DHOTRE:
DR. PRASHANT YADAORAO PADOLE:
Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS be pleased to state:
(a) the various steps taken by the Government to monitor and prevent hoarding or black
marketing of fertilizers during the Kharif season;
(b) whether any incidents of hoarding/black marketing have come to the notice of the
Government and if so, the details of the action taken thereon; and
(c) the specific measures proposed to be implemented to curb these issues in future?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
(SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)
(a) to (c) Fertilizer is declared as an essential commodity and is notified under Fertilizer Control
Order, 1985 and Fertilizer (Movement Control) Order, 1973. State governments are
adequately empowered under FCO to stop black marketing/ hoarding of fertilizers and
to take punitive action against any person/fertilizer company involved in black
marketing/hoarding of fertilizers by violating the provisions of Essential Commodities
Act, 1955 and Fertilizer Control Order 1985 (FCO). Accordingly, as per the
information received from the State governments, the details regarding number of
cases of black marketing/hoarding of fertilizers and action taken against them by the
States during the ongoing Kharif 2025 season i.e. from 01.04.2025 to 01.08.205 is
placed at Annexure.
*******ANNEXURE
Annexure referred to in reply to part ( a) to (c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No 3339 for answering on 08.08.2025
Cumulative Statement from April 25 to August 25 (as on 01.08.2025)
No. of Convictions
Black Marketing Hoarding
No. of licenses
No. of Inspections
cancelled/su
States /raids Show cause notice No. of licenses FIR Show cause FIR
spended
issued cancelled/suspended registered notice issued registered
Andhra Pradesh 577 1 1 0 1 1 0 NIL
Arunachal Pradesh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 NIL
Assam 1681 12 2 0 28 0 0 NIL
Bihar 7176 712 314 18 0 0 0 NIL
Chhattisgarh 3661 264 3 3 29 1 0 NIL
Dadar & Nagar 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 NIL
Delhi 99 0 0 1 0 0 0 NIL
Goa 602 544 180 6 10 0 0 NIL
Gujarat 4566 13 0 1 0 0 0 NIL
Haryana 4133 47 3 1 16 18 1 NIL
Himachal Pradesh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 NIL
Jammu & Kashmir 1568 22 1 0 14 1 0 NIL
Jharkhand 352 3 0 0 5 4 0 NIL
Karnataka 3538 150 10 0 117 0 0 NIL
Kerala 323 0 0 0 0 0 0 NIL
Madhya Pradesh 276 0 0 35 0 0 0 NIL
Maharashtra 26870 15 0 15 0 0 0 NIL
Manipur 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 NIL
Meghalaya 169 0 0 0 0 0 0 NIL
Mizoram 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 NIL
Nagaland 64 14 0 14 0 0 0 NIL
Odisha 3622 0 0 0 0 0 0 NIL
Puducherry 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 NIL
Punjab 2323 2 0 0 5 0 1 NIL
Rajasthan 5828 0 0 0 0 0 0 NIL
Tamilnadu 10837 13 0 1 0 0 0 NIL
Telangana 47518 0 0 1 2 0 0 NIL
Tripura 304 0 0 0 0 0 0 NIL
Uttar Pradesh 16193 999 2181 44 164 37 3 3
Uttarakhand 158 0 0 0 0 0 0 NIL
West Bengal 15666 0 0 0 0 0 0 NIL
Total 158128 2811 2695 140 391 62 5 3
Above data has been compiled as reported by statesto