Most fertiliser retailers yet to be appointed in Rangpur
Over 50 percent fertiliser retailers could not be appointed at ward level in Rangpur due to interference from different quarters, causing much suffering to potato growers.
Selection of 399 retailers out of 783 is yet to be completed to distribute fertiliser at grassroots level although the government fixed deadline for appointing retailers in eight upazilas of the district expired on December 15 last year.
Upazila Fertiliser and Seeds Monitoring Committees in Rangpur Sadar, Pirganj, Mithapukur, Badarganj and Gangachhara upazilas could not approve the list of retailers as the leaders of local Awami League (AL), its front organisations, union and upazila chairmen have recommended a lot of names of their chosen people to appoint them as retailers.
Farmers have to travel a long way to collect fertiliser from BCIC-appointed dealers for their potato fields, sources said.
However, recruitment of retailers was completed in Taraganj, Kaunia and Pirgachha upazilas. But the farmers of the three upazilas are also not getting fertiliser through the retailers, as the retailers are yet to start selling fertiliser.
Sources said the farmers of the district were supposed to get fertiliser from the retailers at grassroots level after completion of the recruitment in December last year.
No fertiliser retailer has been recruited yet at ward level in Pirganj, Mithapukur and Badarganj upazilas while Gangachara upazila gets 72 retailers out of 81 and Rangpur Sadar gets 60 out of 72.
The government decided to recruit nine fertiliser retailers at every union in the country. Every union selection committee was asked to send the list of selected persons to respective Upazila Fertiliser and Seeds Monitoring Committee for approval.
The union selection committee comprised of the members of UP, four local elites, sub-assistant agriculture officers of respective block, a teacher and an imam of a mosque of respective union prepares the list of retailers.
Mostafizar Rahman, chairman of Sadar upazila, said those who do not deal with fertiliser were recommended to appoint as retailers by the ruling AL men.
Hazrat Ali, deputy director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Rangpur, said the farmers will suffer if they do not get fertiliser in time.
Talking to The Daily Star, Additional Deputy Commissioner Mahbub Hossain said he held a meeting with all upazila nirbahi officers on Tuesday and asked them to complete the recruitment of retailers as soon as possible.
A group of Jubo League activists led by union unit organising secretary Abdul Matin recently beat up Barohazratpur UP Chairman Ekramul Haque Raju in a dispute over recruiting retailers in the union.
Local AL expelled the Jubo League leader from the post following the incident.
Chairman Ekramul alleged that Abdul Matin did not qualify as retailer according to the circular but he applied for it.
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