SHIMLA: Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today announced a committee headed by the Chief Secretary to check exploitation of horticulturists by the traders, private CA store owners and others at various levels.  But Sayunkt Kisan Manch(SKM) asserted that the farmers would gherao the Himachal Pradesh Secretariate on August 5 in Shimla as "nothing concrete" has come out from the meeting today.  

The Chief Minister gave this assurance at the meeting here today which was attended by Cabinet Ministers,  top government officials and the members of the SKM at the Secretariate to resolve the grievances of the apple farmers.   

The government has come under pressure to hold talks with the SKM as thousands of farmers under the banner of SKM have been staging massive protests at Rohru and other places in the apple belt over the months.

SKM has already submitted over 10 memorandum to the state government for the last one year highlighting their main demands. But to no avail.  

The farmers also sought to know from the horticulture minister as to which grade of apple and how much quantity and how the government intends to purchase  from whom- traders or farmers- for the Mid- Day Meal. But they did not get answer for this so far.   

Even Congress and CPIM have also come out in support of the apple farmers at the beginning of the apple season as their agitation can impact the coming state assembly elections. 

The farmers also demanded restoration of subsidies on fungicides and pesticides and fertilisers  freezing GST at 5 per cent on apple cartons and trays. 

Before things turn bad to worse, Jai Ram Thakur had called this meeting with the farmers here today.

Addressing the meeting, Thakur said it has been felt that apple growers are being exploited at different levels.

He said the committee would look into the matter which would have Additional Chief Secretary Finance, Principal Secretary Excise and Taxation, Secretaries Agriculture and Horticulture as its members besides representatives of various farmers Associations.

But the representatives of Sayunkt Kisan Manch of  over 27 different associations of farmers,  who attended the meeting said that the SKM would stage protest and gherao the Secretariate on August 5 as decided by the SKM earlier. SKM has been formed cutting across party lines.  

SKM had presented its 20-point charter of demands to the Chief Minister  and urged him and the officials to implement it  to address the pending grievances of the farmers, said the representatives.

"But nothing concrete has emerged out from the meeting on the SKM's charter of demands today", said SKM’s convenor, Harish Chauhan and co-convener Sanjay Chauhan. "Mere formation of the committee is no solution", they asserted.  

Hence, SKM will stage protest in front of the Secretariate on August 5 in which thousands of farmers would ventilate their anger over the failure of the state government to implement their long pending demands, they asserted.

In Fact, SKM members said they have been demanding support price of Rs 60 per kg for Grade A, Rs 44 kg for Grade B and Rs 24 for Grade C apples under Market Intervention Scheme on the lines of the apple farmers of the Jammu and Kashmir.   But the government is  not ready to proceed further on this, they said. 

Other issue is delay in payment of the farmers by arhtiyas mainly in Rohru, Kharapathar, Parala, Theog, Narkanda, Solan and Parwanoo Mandis. APMC Act is not implemented that ensures payment for the produce sold by the farmers in the market on the same day. 

The arhtiyas instead give 15 days time to farmers for payment, but they delay it for months.

Even arhtiyas in Chandigarh, Panchkula mandis are doing the same thing in many cases that has created a lot of heartburns among the farmers.   

However, Chief Minister further said  the apple economy of the State is worth about Rs. 5000 crore and is a major contributor in the State's GDP.

Jai Ram Thakur said the government has decided  to give a 6 percent subsidy on purchase of package material i.e. cartons and trays sold through HPMC with effect from 15th July, 2022. This will provide relief to to the farmers, he said. 

The HPMC would be given a grant of Rs. 10 crore in this regard, he added. 

On the other,  SKM after the meeting  said the government should freeze GST at 6 per cent for the apple packaging material. 

The six percent subsidy on cartons and trays is negligible as GST was increased from 12 per cent to 18 per cent that has made deep holes in pockets of the apple farmers, majority of whom are marginal and small farmers, SKM said.

HPMC would procure dismal few lakh cartons and trays, which is  sufficient not  even for a fraction of farmers at the peak of the season.    

Talking about the arrears of the farmers with HPMC and HIMFED, Chief Minister further said that efforts would be made to clear the pending liabilities of the horticulturists.

Chief Minister also asked the concerned authorities to look into the matter of collection of taxes/charges levied at various barriers.

Jai Ram Thakur said that the Government would also consider sympathetically regarding the constitution of the Horticulture Board for welfare of the horticulturists of the State.

He also urged the horticulturists to form cooperatives for establishing CA stores and also for availing the benefits of various schemes.

He said that the State Government has increased the MIS procurement of the apple from Rs. 7.50 to Rs. 10.50 per kg during the tenure of the present State Government.

The meeting was attended by Horticulture Minister Mahender Singh Thakur, Urban Development Minister Suresh Bhardwaj, Education Minister Govind Singh Thakur, MLA Chopal Balbir Verma, MLA Theog Rakesh Singha and former Mayor Shimla Municipal Corporation Sanjay Chauhan, co-convenor SKM, convenor Harish Chauhan and others.

SKM along with Deepak Singha, Ashutosh Chauhan, vice-president Progressive Growers Association and others from SKM  pressed upon the government to implement the 20-point  charter of demands if the government really seeks remedy for the farmers.  

SKM Convenor   Harish Chauhan also  urged the Chief Minister to sympathetically consider various issues pertaining to the welfare of the horticulturists.

Secretary Horticulture Amitabh Awasthi conducted the proceedings of the meeting.

Chief Secretary R.D. Dhiman, Additional Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena, Principal Secretaries, Secretaries and other senior officers attended the meeting.