SHIMLA: Facing growing resentment among apple growers over notices issued through SDMs in connection with procurement of more than 100 bags of apples under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government has relented, directing that such notices be stopped with immediate effect.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu here today said there would be no arbitrary limit of 100 bags for orchardists under the scheme and made it clear that the government would procure 100, 200, 300, 400 or whatever number of apple bags an orchardist has, subject to the required documentation being uploaded on the MIS portal.
The Chief Minister said orchardists should simply upload the necessary documents on the MIS portal for procurement under the scheme.
The clarification came after widespread anger among apple growers over the manner in which the issue of consignments exceeding 100 bags was being handled. Farmers had objected to being asked to produce revenue land records and appear before SDM-level authorities, describing the process as harassment and an unnecessary humiliation during the peak apple harvesting season.
Following the protests and mounting criticism, the government has now directed that notices issued to orchardists through SDMs in relation to the previous apple crop be stopped with immediate effect.
Sukhu also made it clear that no rules would be forcibly imposed on any orchardist, signalling a climbdown from the controversial procedure that had triggered resentment in the apple belt.
"There is no justification for harassing the orchardists," the Chief Minister said, reiterating that the Congress government was fully committed to the economic prosperity and welfare of apple growers.
The government's latest decision is being seen as an attempt to defuse the growing confrontation with orchardists, who had questioned why farmers should be subjected to scrutiny by revenue officials merely for bringing more than 100 bags of apples for procurement under the MIS.
The controversy had particularly angered growers because the 100-bag issue surfaced at a time when apple growers are already battling rising input costs, weather-related crop losses and uncertainty over returns.
With the Chief Minister now making it clear that there will be no arbitrary ceiling on the number of bags and that the required documents can be uploaded online, the government has effectively cleared the way for orchardists to participate in MIS procurement without facing SDM notices over the 100-bag threshold.
