Srinagar: Director Agriculture Kashmir, Syed Altaf Aijaz Andrabi today convened a meeting of concerned officers here to regulate the supply and sale of different types of fertilizers across the valley. 

During the meeting, Director Agriculture laid stressed on strengthening the direct benefit transfer system and to make the proceedings more transparent and farmer friendly.

The meeting was informed about the present status of supply and demand of different types of fertilizers across Kashmir division. Director Agriculture impressed upon the concerned to strictly follow the instructions of Department of Fertilizers Ministry of Chemicals and fertilizers Government of India for successful implementation of direct benefit transfer in fertilizers.

He directed all the Block, Panchayat Level Officers and officers of the enforcement agencies to make sure that all retail fertilizer dealers of Kashmir valley make use of Point of Sale (P.O.S) Machines for sale of fertilizers and no sale is made without P.O.S machines. He said that there are clear cut instructions from Ministry of Fertilizers Government of India that the retailers who have not installed P.O.S machines at their respective shops, their licenses is to be treated as cancelled.

Meanwhile, Director Agriculture called upon the officers of Extension agency of the department to gear up their field staff to provide all the technical guidance to the farmers and growers during the use of fertilizers so that the aim of reducing and minimizing the expenses on fertilizer purchase can be achieved, with the result the socio-economic status of the farmers can improve. He called upon the participants to reaffirm the commitment of working for the betterment of farming community which is the moral and professional responsibility of the department.

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