Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Monday blamed the Union agriculture ministry for its “casual” approach towards the sale of lethal pesticides in the market that led to deaths of at least 50 farmers in Vidarbha region. “We have stringent laws to prevent harmful pesticides being supplied to the farmers. Even if harmful pesticides are supplied to the farmers then the Union agriculture ministry is certainly responsible for that,” Pawar tweeted on Monday. Pawar said in 10 years of his stint as Union agriculture minister, no one was allowed to use harmful pesticides and strictest action was taken against those found guilty. The Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC) that comes under the Union agriculture ministry certifies all the pesticides in the country.

Source: Hindustan Times October 23, 2017 18:56 UTC