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BJP ignored apple-growing belts, alleges Himachal Cong leader
“The irresponsible and indifferent attitude of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has put the World Bank-funded ₹1,134-crore horticulture development plan brought by the then Congress government in 2016, in jeopardy,” said former chief parliamentary secretary and Congress leader Rohit Thakur here on Sunday
“The irresponsible and indifferent attitude of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has put the World Bank-funded ₹1,134-crore horticulture development plan brought by the then Congress government in 2016, in jeopardy,” said former chief parliamentary secretary and Congress leader Rohit Thakur here on Sunday.
He said it was due to the BJP government’s policies that the World Bank cut the cost of the project to ₹1,066 crore.
Thakur alleged that horticulture minister Mahender Singh Thakur in the past fuelled politics of regionalism by terming the project ‘a scheme for the apple belt’.
“Now, when the farmers are reaping its benefits, BJP is claiming credit,” he added.
Under the horticulture development project, Parala fruit processing plant and new CA store were donated by the Congress. Thakur said an amount of ₹91.20 crore is being spent on the fruit processing plant in Parala under the horticulture development project.
Similarly, six CA stores of the HPMC, apple grading and packaging centres are being upgraded under the project by spending ₹16.48 crore.
He alleged that the BJP government cancelled three CA stores approved for Jubbal-Kotkhai assembly segment under the project over “petty politics”.
Thakur said BJP is celebrating the 50th anniversary of formation of the state and despite having two Centre’s big leaders from Himachal, the Modi government is hell-bent on weakening the ₹5,000 crore apple economy of the state.
He said during 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had talked about giving special product category status to apples and making a three-fold increase on import duty on them.
Contrary to this, the Centre reduced the import duty on apple by 15% which was a severe blow for the apple growers.
He expressed concerns over the steep fall in prices of apples in past several days. “Farmers are not even able to recover the input cost on apple due to fall in prices,” he said.
Thakur said the BJP government has failed to control the prices of apple packing material.
Carton factories have increased the prices of apple-packing material by up to 25% this time as compared to last year.
He also sought relief for apple growers whose crop was hit by hailstorm.
