Jaipur, June 14 -- The Rajasthan government has suspended 11 agriculture officials with immediate effect amid alleged negligence, disobedience of orders and collusion with fertiliser manufacturers, following complaints of substandard fertiliser being provided to farmers. The suspended officials include Banshidhar Jat (then deputy director of agriculture - inspection), Jwala Pratap Singh (assistant director - inspection), Govind Singh (assistant director - plant protection), Mukesh Kumar Choudhary (assistant director of agriculture), Rajveer Ola (agriculture officer - planning), Saurabh Garg (then agriculture officer), Mukesh Kumar Mali (then agriculture officer), and Kailash Chandra Sharma (then agriculture officer, currently Project Director - ATMA). Whereas Lokendra Singh (assistant director of agriculture - headquarters), Sunil Kumar Bardia (agriculture officer - general), and Prem Singh (agriculture officer - mission) in the office of the joint director of agriculture (V), Zilla Parishad, Jaipur are suspended as the officials failed to reach the sites to investigate complaints of unlawful fertiliser storage and disregarded instructions from their seniors, prompting disciplinary action. According to the suspension order issued by the Agriculture department these officials are suspected of serious misconduct and collusion with fertiliser companies, causing financial harm to farmers by allowing poor fertiliser products into the market. Disciplinary action is underway against them, and their suspension is meant to facilitate a fair and impartial inquiry into the matter. Accordingly, in exercise of the powers conferred by Rule 13(1) of the Rajasthan Civil Services (Classification, Control, and Appeal) Rules, 1958, they are hereby placed under suspension with immediate effect. "During the period of suspension, their headquarters shall remain at the Office of the Commissioner of Agriculture, Jaipur, Rajasthan, and they shall be payable a subsistence allowance as per regulations," states the order. The action on officials comes 14 days after Agriculture Minister Kirodi Lal Meena conducted a spree of raids on seed, fertiliser and pesticides companies. The minister carried out surprise raids on over 50 factories in Ganganagar, Kishangarh, Beawar, Bagru and Jaipur from May 29 to June 12. Over 450 samples were collected and sent to labs, result awaited. Meena had stated that the companies have been selling fake seeds by adding colours, marbles etc in the local and also inter-state markets in Haryana. They were making these seeds at Rs.50 and were selling at a cost of Rs.250. The minister's action also faced protest by the agriculture dealer association who went on strike. "This is their democratic right, but spreading misinformation under its guise is a crime. This campaign is a part of the Agriculture Department's guidelines for quality control, aimed at addressing the business of suspected, poor, or substandard seeds. Processing units that follow guidelines and regulations and produce high-caliber seeds for farmers should stand in support of the campaign instead of opposing it. Companies that are following the rules have nothing to fear - I, the department, and the government are with them," the minister commented....