India, Dec. 10 -- The Government has cancelled 5,371 licences of fertiliser firms for black marketing, hoarding, as well as for distributing substandard material, Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers Jagat Prakash Nadda said in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
In response to a question asked by BJP member Kiran Choudhary, Nadda said while States are empowered to take action on malpractices, the Centre takes action under the Essential Commodities Act of 1955 and the Fertiliser Control Order to check malpractices such as diversion, hoarding and overpricing.
He said action on substandard material is taken under the Fertiliser Control Order.
"We would like to tell you, as you asked, from April 1 to November 28, there were 5,058 show-cause ...