Finance Ministry flagged 17,000 fertiliser diversion cases across India in 2025 using e‑way bill data.
The e‑way bill, rolled out nine years ago to curb illegal truck movements, now serves as a digital trail that every truck hauling goods worth more than ₹50,000 must register. By cross‑checking the real‑time GPS logs against intended delivery points, regulators spot detours and double trips that hint at diversion.
After the Iran–Russia conflict triggered fears of a national fertiliser shortage, the finance ministry's data analysts ran a preliminary sweep that revealed trucks meant for state‑owned depots were rerouting to remote districts, including hilly terrains in Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand. The audit logged 4.8 lakh raids, 17,000 notices, 7,000 licence cancellations and 850 FIRs across 2025, according to agriculture ministry figures.
A parliamentary standing committee later confirmed the leakages, noting that 28 instances of unauthorised movement were recorded in Madhya Pradesh alone and that neem‑coated urea was siphoned to plywood, resin and cattle‑feed units in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka and Punjab.
For farmers like 55‑year‑old Ramesh Singh of Bhopal, the diversion means delayed access to subsidised urea, forcing him to buy at market rates that double his budget. “We’ve been waiting for months, and the trucks keep vanishing,” he told reporters.
The finance ministry will convene a cabinet meeting next week to decide on stricter penalties and enhanced enforcement under the Integrated Fertiliser Management System, aiming to curb diversion and protect the supply chain.