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₹45 crore released to clear MIS apple procurement dues: Himachal CM
The Himachal chief minister said that payments had already been made to growers who supplied up to 30 bags of apples under the MIS and the process of releasing payments to growers who supplied 100 bags or more was underway
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu while chairing a meeting of the horticulture department on Friday said the state government has cleared payments through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to apple growers for produce procured under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) during the year 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
He said that payments had already been made to growers who supplied up to 30 bags of apples under the MIS and the process of releasing payments to growers who supplied 100 bags or more was underway. He informed that the state government has released ₹45 crore to clear the pending liabilities.
Reviewing the preparations for apple procurement under the MIS during the current season, the CM launched the Horticulture Market Intervention Scheme website and mobile application. The digital platform would facilitate end-to-end recording of the procurement process, from apple purchase to processing, ensuring greater transparency and efficiency.
Apple growers would be required to register on the portal by providing details such as Aadhaar number, land records and bank account information. They would also be able to book time slots for selling their produce, helping reduce waiting time and improving convenience. The growers will receive SMS notifications on their mobile phones regarding procurement and payment status, ensuring complete transparency.
The CM said that dedicated staff should be deployed at collection centres during the procurement season to assist growers.
CM interacts with ITI students on exposure visit to Kazakhstan
Chief minister, Sukvinder Singh Sukhu, on late Friday evening interacted telephonically with the students from various Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) of Himachal Pradesh who are currently on an exposure visit to Kazakhstan.
Sukhu said that this was for the first time the state government had organised an overseas exposure visit for trainees of technical institutions. He added that similar educational and exposure tours had earlier been arranged for meritorious students and teachers of government schools and that such initiatives would continue in the future. He further stated that the state government was also considering organizing international exposure visits for doctors and medical students to enable them to gain global exposure, learn advanced medical practices and further strengthen healthcare services in Himachal Pradesh.
