BCIC subdealers deprived of fertilizer for 13 years in Lalpur

Baraigram (Natore) Correspondent :

Some 99 retail card holders subdealers of BCIC are not getting fertilizer for 13 years in Lalpur of Natore district.
As a result, fertilizer distribution network in villages has been broken. Farmers have been suffering for want of fertilizer and high price than government rate. According to the government rules, 50% of the fertilizer allocated to the main BCIC dealers is supposed to be given to the retail card holder sub-dealers, but they are not getting any fertilizer at all. Complaints of retail card holders is that the main BCIC dealers are selling fertilizer to non-card holder fertilizer traders and others at higher cost than giving it to us. Farmers are not getting fertilizer at the government fixed price.
Upazila Retail Card Holder President Md. Yunus Ali and General Secretary Khairul Islam said, “According to the government rules of 2009, each of the 99 retail card holders of the upazila deposited 30 thousand taka each and a total of 29 lakh 70 thousand taka as security in the government treasury. Later,we got a card as a retail fertilizer seller signed by the President and Secretary of the Upazila Fertilizer and Seed Monitoring Committee.
In order to reach the farmers at the government fixed price in a simple way, the government created a fertilizer distribution network by appointing one retail fertilizer seller in each ward of the union. But the main BCIC dealers don’t give any fertilizer regardless of the government rules and regulations. Avoiding us, they are selling fertilizer at higher prices to non-card holders. On the one hand, the farmers are suffering by buying fertilizers at high prices, on the other hand, they are deprived of the required fertilizers. We are drawing the attention of the concerned authorities to reduce the suffering of the farmers and to take necessary measures to get our fertilizers”
 BCIC dealers, Natore district branch president Abdus Salam and Secretary Abdul Halim said, ” The cards of 99 retail card holders subdealers have been canceled as they have not collected fertilizer from us for several years. We don’t fertilize them anymore. Some of them have withdrawn the deposited money. Wahidul Islam Khokon, dealer of BCIC in Lalpur Bazar, says the same thing that we do not give them fertiliser”.
Saiful Islam, a farmer of Walia Union, said, “I have cultivated IRRI paddy in two acrs of land. I need urea fertilizer, can’t get it anywhere. About 10 km to get 10 kg of fertilizer. have to go away If we have sub dealers in the ward, we can easily get fertilizer at hand. It will save both time and money”.
Lalpur Upazila Agricultural Officer. Rafiqul Islam said, “We are trying to make ensure so that farmers can get fertilizer at a fair price. Neither the BCIC dealers have given us any complaint nor the subdealers have brought any complaint in this regard. Now that the matter is coming up. I will try to solve the matter”.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shamima Sultana said, “Lalpur has enough fertilizer stock as per the demand of farmers. There is no shortage of fertilizers. If retail subdealers face any problem in getting fertilizer. Then we will definitely ensure that they get fertilizers according to their availability as per the latest policy of the government”.
Natore Deputy Commissioner (DC) Md. Shamim Ahmed said, “The retail card holders who have deposited money as security in the government treasury, those who have valid, those who have deposited security and have valid license, they will receive according to the instructions coming from the Ministry of Agriculture. Those who are not valid will not get it. We will ensure what we get according to the policy.”