India, July 6 -- The Maharashtra Agriculture Department suspended the licences of 107 fertiliser dealers, cancelled six licences and registered police cases against seven dealers in the Pune region as part of a special drive to curb black marketing, hoarding and artificial shortages amid concerns over disruptions in the global fertiliser supply chain.

The crackdown comes as the state government has stepped up monitoring of fertiliser distribution ahead of the kharif season. While the government maintains there is no immediate shortage of fertilisers, it has initiated measures for tighter stock monitoring, regulated distribution and plans for online fertiliser booking in several districts.

The enforcement drive, carried out under the lea...