TOBA TEK SINGH: More than 800,000 imported urea fertiliser bags have been dumped in the godowns of National Fertiliser Marketing Limited (NFML), formerly called the National Fertiliser Corporation (NFC), in Gojra, Rajana, Shorkot, Jhang, Sargodha, Mianwali and Bhakkar districts.

A source, close to the marketing body, said more than seven million bags were lying in the 50 godowns of the NFML all over the country. Their sale had been suspended for several months and the storage for a long period might impact the quality of fertiliser.

As inactivity rules the offices of the company, hundreds of employees, both regular and contract, have been sitting idle in their offices and stores for months.

The security of bags has been left to the guards hired for the godowns against a Rs8,000 monthly salary, and a guard works for a 12-hour shift. This is the violation of a Rs14,000 per month minimum wage fixed by the government.

NFML General Manager (marketing and distribution) Qudratullah told Dawn by telephone from Lahore that 5.5 million bags, and not seven million, of imported Urea bags were lying in NFML stores. He said they had suspended the sale due to the difference of prices between imported and locally manufactured Urea bags.

He said a local Urea bag was being sold in the market at Rs1,350 while the imported urea’s price was Rs1,786.

The government was soon going to give a subsidy to the farmers on the sale of imported Urea bags to clear the stock. He said the issue of Rs8,000 per month salary to godown watchmen was related to the administration department of the NFML.

Former NFC regional manager Asghar Ali Tabassam said the NFML was being destroyed by the government to find an excuse for its privatisation.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2016