Task force formed to curb sale of adulterated seeds

Hyderabad: Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy on Thursday said the problem of adulterated seeds was more in the bordering districts of the State and added that the government was taking steps to curb the sale of adulterated seeds.

Replying to a question raised by TRS member D Manohar Reddy and others during the Question Hour in the Assembly on Thursday, Niranjan Reddy said that the guidelines have been sent to district collectors on the seed distribution and also the list of banned pesticides.

A task force was also formed to check the adulterated seeds. The task force arrested 56 persons and booked 67 criminal cases. PD Act cases will also be filed against the responsible persons, he warned.

The minister said that Telangana State was the most suitable for the production of quality seeds and said the credit to supply the quality seeds went to the State government. Niranjan Reddy stated that they had increased the seed production capacity by two times.

"As against the actual capacity of 3.48 lakh quintals of production capacity, the production capacity of the State has gone up to 6.4 lakh quintals in the State now," he mentioned.

The minister declared in the House that seed processing units were set up in 31 Assembly constituencies across the State. "We have strengthened our vigilance teams to protect our borders.

A dedicated State-level task force has been set up for the Agriculture department by us," he said adding the State was exporting seed to 18 counties in the world.

Further, he also said plans were afoot to set up a seed park in 150 acres and added that States like AP, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh had sought land in their seed park.