Panel Questions CPM leader Rakesh Singha and Sebha Udpadak Sangh as to why they are silent?
SHIMLA/PARALA, Aug 30: A BJP committee on apple growers’ woes has fired a volley of serious charges at the Sukhu government, accusing it of mishandling the procurement season, ignoring a new leaf-fall disease, and allowing rackets to flourish in shops, CA stores and market yards.
The four-member team—Chopal MLA Balbir Verma, Chetan Bragta from Jubbal-Kotkhai, Sandeepni Bhardwaj from Theog-Shimla Rural, and former minister Govind Singh Thakur from Kullu-Manali—was set up by state BJP president Dr. Rajeev Bindal. The panel is touring apple belts and will submit its report to the party within a week.
Talking to media in Theog, Verma said the crisis started when the government failed to open HPMC and Himfed procurement centres on time.
Even procured apple by HPMC is rotting on the roadsides as the HPMC has failed to lift the fruit to the processing units in time, they said.
Farmers suffered losses to the tune of Rs 1000 per carton due to the delayed action from the Sukhu Government, he charged.
“This delay allowed low-quality C-grade apples, damaged by hail, to flood the mandis. Had the government procured C-grade fruit separately, only good quality apples would have reached the market and farmers would have fetched better prices,” he charged.
Chetan Bragta slammed the Sukhu government saying that scientists of Dr. YS Parmar Horticulture University, Nauni have failed to explain the sudden premature leaf fall disease hitting Royal Delicious varieties.
“There is a conspiracy here. Why are traditional varieties getting infected while imported ones like Gala and Granny Smith remain untouched?
Lakhs of saplings are being imported without quarantine, and this fungus seems to be travelling freely under the nose of the horticulture department,” Brgata said, demanding accountability from the revenue and horticulture minister Negi and minister Rohit Thakur.
Sandeepni Bhardwaj accused the Congress government of running a racket in allotment of CA stores, APMC shops and processing units in Parala and Parwanoo.
“Farmers’ produce has no space, while private players are cornering all benefits. Earlier safeguards put in place by the BJP government have been thrown to the wind.
"Even CPIM and other their farmer organisations are silent, walking hand-in-glove with Congress,” he alleged.
The committee also tore into the government for not clearing roads in the apple belt.
“In Chopal, Jubbal-Kotkhai, Rohru, Rampur, Kumarsain, Kullu and Manali, hundreds of PWD and panchayat roads are blocked. Apples plucked five days ago are rotting in cartons because they can’t reach the market.
"This is a direct loss of thousands per grower and will dent Himachal’s GDP,” Verma said. PWD and SDMs say that they have no funds, he claimed.
The panel claimed that procurement centres and cold stores have been auctioned to private players in shady deals, machinery at processing plants like Parala lies underutilised, and farmers are left at the mercy of middlemen.
“This Rs 5,000-crore industry is at stake. The government is sleeping, scientists are silent, and the horticulture department is looking the other way,” the members said in one voice.
Former minister Govind Singh Thakur, who was collecting reports from Mandi and Kullu but could not reach Shimla due to landslide blockades, said he too had received complaints of rot and farmer distress across the Kullu and Mandi apple belt, they said.
The BJP warned that if the government doesn’t immediately open all procurement centres, clear roads, and come clean on the leaf-fall disease, the party will hit the streets with farmers.
“Apple farmers feed nutritional needs of India, and they strengthen Himachal’s economy. If this government continues to ignore their pain, this anger will erupt on the roads,” the committee warned.
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