Complaints of fake and bad quality seeds: MNS workers vandalise agriculture department office in Latur, Maharashtra

Some Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers have reportedly vandalized the office of co-director of the Agriculture department in Latur district of Maharashtra on Tuesday.

As per reports, on Tuesday, 14th June, some MNS workers came to the co-director’s office to submit a request regarding non-germinating seeds. During the conversation with the officers available, MNS workers started raising slogans and vandalised the office. Assistant Inspector of Police, Sanjay Pawar, said that they had registered a case against the MNS workers and legal action will be initiated against them. Santosh Nagroje, state president Maharashtra Navnirman Kisan Sena, was also reportedly involved in the vandalizing of the office.

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MNS alleges that bad quality seeds are being given to farmers

MNS workers alleged that the seeds they have made available in the market are not germinating. No one from the ruling government is giving heed to the plea of the farmers. Farmers are losing money and their hard work is being wasted because of such seeds. They asked for compensation for the farmers and demanded action should be taken against the companies that produced such low-quality seeds.

There have been several complaints regarding low-quality seeds in many areas of Maharashtra. These seeds are either not germinating or not giving supposed yield. The MNS workers alleged that the government had not taken any action against these companies despite complaints. Police have registered FIR against 46 seed companies, including some big names. More than 50 companies have received show-cause notice for the same. As per the reports, Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court has taken Suo Moto cognizance in the case and sought action on such companies and their vendors.

Soyabean crop failure in Maharashtra after seeds failed to germinate

There have been complaints of huge crop failure of soybean after farmers found that seeds distributed under the ‘Mahabeej’ scheme and sold by some private companies had failed to germinate even after good rains. Already FIRs against 23 private companies have been filed.

Reports say that so far, over 49,000 complaints have been registered against fake or bad quality seeds in the state.