Himachal assembly: No info on smuggled apples reaching Indian markets, says Mahender Thakur

State government has no information about smuggled apples reaching Indian markets from Turkey or Iran through Afghanistan, horticulture minister Mahender Thakur said in Himachal assembly

The state government has no information about smuggled apples reaching the Indian markets from Turkey or Iran through Afghanistan, horticulture minister Mahender Singh Thakur said on Thursday in the assembly.

Horticulture minister Mahender Thakur said on Thursday in the Himachal assembly that the state government had requested the Centre to raise import duty on apples from 50% to 100% so as to protect the interest of farmers in the state. (Shutterstock/ Representational image)

Replying to a question asked by CPIM’s Theog legislator Rakesh Singha, the minister said India imports apples from Turkey and Iran and as well as from Italy, Chile, New Zealand, Brazil, US, and UAE under open general license (OGL) from the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

He said the state government had requested the Central Government to raise import duty on apples from 50% to 100% so as to protect the interest of Himachal farmers.

He tabled in the House the photocopies of letters written to the secretary finance, Government of India, ministry of finance department of and the secretary, ministry of commerce and industry, department of commerce. He said Article 16 of the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) provides for safeguard measures against the smuggling of such products.