Sukhu opens ₹100-crore fruit processing plant in Theog

Sukhu said that this plant would prove to be a milestone in the development of the area and its fruit industry

Himachal chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday inaugurated a state-of-the-art fruit processing plant constructed at an estimated cost of ₹100.42 crore at Parala, Theog in Shimla district.

Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (HT File)

He said this plant would prove to be a milestone in the development of the area and its fruit industry. The chief minister said that wine, vinegar and juice would be produced in this plant, ensuring that the local growers get fair prices for their produce. He added that the plant would also speed up the production of the processed products.

Addressing the people at the occasion, Sukhu said that this year, the disaster caused by heavy rains had wreaked havoc and the link roads, especially in the apple belts of the state, were damaged badly.

“Our government restored these roads on a priority basis, making sure that the produce is delivered to the market on time, thereby protecting horticulturists from financial loss,” he added.

He added that the state government had announced a “historic increase of ₹1.5 in the support price of apples, which now stood at ₹12 per kg. This time, the procurement of apples had been done on kilo basis and the universal carton system is being implemented so that the orchardists get fair prices for their produce, Sukhu said.