Hyderabad: Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari has instructed district Collectors to file cases under the Preventive Detention (PD) Act against traders who hoard seeds to create an artificial shortage.
The directive came during a teleconference held on Thursday with district Collectors to discuss seed supply for the monsoon crop season and preparations for State Formation Day celebrations on June 2.
Santhi Kumari assured that the availability of all seed varieties and fertilizers is significantly higher this year compared to last year. She urged farmers not to worry about the distribution of seeds, emphasizing that there are ample stocks of hybrid seeds for cotton, soya, and maize, as well as Jeeluga seeds.
To prevent hoarding, the Chief Secretary ordered the formation of special teams comprising officials from the Agriculture, Revenue, and Police Departments. These teams will inspect godowns and seed shops to ensure compliance. Additionally, she instructed that special monitoring teams be deployed at seed sales centers.
Given that seed sales are expected to continue until the end of June, Collectors are to conduct daily reviews of seed distribution and perform random inspections of stock registers and distribution systems.
They are also tasked with meeting farmers to reassure them about seed availability and to take steps to prevent farmers from other states from buying seeds in Telangana.
