Bogura Cold Storage Fined 5,000 Taka Over Illegal Potato Storage Fees

Authorities in Bogura have taken strict action against a local cold storage facility for violating official pricing regulations regarding potato preservation. On Saturday, in the Joypurpara-Matitala area of Bogura town, a mobile court conducted a targeted operation against Krishikal Himagar after receiving complaints regarding excessive fee collection from farmers and traders.

During the official inspection, it was revealed that Krishikal Himagar was charging potato farmers and local traders a storage fee of 420 taka per sack. This rate significantly exceeded the maximum government-established limit of five taka and twenty-five paisa per kilogram, prompting immediate intervention by the district administration.

Executive Magistrate Foysal Ahmad led the mobile court operation on Saturday to address the ongoing violations at the facility. According to the findings of the inspection team, the allegations of overcharging brought against the organization were entirely proven during the course of the on-site investigation.

Foysal Ahmad stated that the facility had previously been issued formal warnings regarding its pricing practices. Despite these prior warnings, the management continued to collect storage fees higher than the government-mandated rates from the public, leading to the enforcement of a five thousand taka fine as a preliminary punitive and cautionary measure.

Emphasizing the protection of marginalized farmers and potato traders, the administration confirmed that monitoring operations by the district administration and the Department of Agricultural Marketing will remain ongoing across all cold storage facilities in the region. Furthermore, authorities warned that if any cold storage facility continues to charge fees above the officially designated rates, they will face escalated penalties, including monetary fines and potential prison sentences as necessary.