Agriculture Department Raids Rice Mill in Jagraon; 252 Quintals of Subsidized Fertilizer Seized

May 8, 2026

A major racket involving the alleged black-marketing of urea fertilizer, which is provided to farmers by the government at subsidized rates  has been exposed in Jagraon, located in Punjab’s Ludhiana district. Acting on a tip-off, a team from the Agriculture Department raided a rice mill situated at Khudaai Chakk, on Gorsian Makhan Road. A massive quantity of urea fertilizer was recovered from the premises.

Upon reaching the scene, the police registered a case under various sections of the law against the rice mill owners Abhishek Kumar, Vineet Kumar, and Praveen Kumar at the Sidhwan Bet police station and have initiated an investigation.

According to ASI Tarsem Singh, a complaint was lodged by Harsh Kumar, the Agriculture Development Officer-cum-Fertilizer Inspector for Sidhwan Bet. He, along with Agriculture Officer Raminder Singh and Agriculture Development Officer Amandeep Sharma, had conducted an inspection at the ‘Shri Sham Rice Mill’ in Khudaai Chakk village, located on Gorsian Makhan Road. Rice mill owners Abhishek Kumar and Amritpal Singh were present on the premises during the raid.

During the inspection, 560 bags of urea fertilizer weighing a total of 252 quintals were recovered from inside the rice mill. An examination of the relevant documents revealed several irregularities. According to the officials, the consignment note (Bilty No. 1953) for the urea, dated May 7, 2026, had been issued by ‘Goyal & Company’ of Sunam. This document was made out in the name of Gurpreet Singh, who did not possess a valid license to purchase fertilizer directly from the railway rake (bulk supply point).

Furthermore, the firm in whose name the fertilizer had been ordered was also found to lack a valid license to engage in the fertilizer trade. Subsequently, the Agriculture Department team also raided ‘Punjab Pesticide and Fertilizer’ in Bhundri, where a large quantity of fertilizer was found to be stored illegally.

Embezzlement for Personal Gain

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the rice mill owner, Abhishek Kumar acting in collusion with his brother, Vineet Kumar, allegedly embezzled the subsidized urea for their own personal financial gain. Commission agent Shri Durga Trading Company and rack-holder Goyal & Company, Sunam, are also reported to be involved in this matter. It is alleged that preparations were underway to clandestinely stockpile fertilizer meant for farmers and sell it at inflated prices.