SHIMLA: Estimating a production of about 1.96 Crore apple cartons this year, Deputy Commissioner Shimla Aditya Negi said that smooth arrangements are being made by the district administration on a war footing for transportation and management of the apple crop.
Presiding over a meeting of officials including members of the farmers unions regarding the upcoming apple season at Bachat Bhawan here on Friday, Negi said this year production of one crore 96 lakh apple boxes is estimated by the horticultural department in the district.
The control room at Fagu of Theog sub-division would start functioning from July 15, 2022 and all the control rooms would be set up at Narkanda, Shoghi and Kuddu, he added.
Negi directed all the sub-divisional officers present in the meeting to hold a meeting with the truck unions and pickup unions and fix the fare for various fruit markets by June 30, 2022.
They must ensure compliance of COVID standard operating procedure in fruit markets, he said.
Aditya Negi directed the officials of the Public Works Department and National Highways to make road arrangements so that the apple farmers do not face any problem in taking their produce to various fruit markets during the apple season.
He directed HPMC and HIMFED to set up their collection centers within a time bound period and also ensure the supply of trays and cartons so that packaging material is available to the horticulturists at reasonable prices.
Apart from this, Negi urged the Electricity Department to ensure power supply for smooth operation of grading and sorting machines during apple season, so that the growers do not face any problem during night time.
He ordered the police administration to provide identity cards to the drivers and operators coming from outside states. The police should ensure the registration of vehicles so that the growers do not face fraud or cheating, DC said.
The meeting was conducted by the Additional District Magistrate (Protocol) Sachin Kanwal and established a direct dialogue with the Sub-Divisional Officers present and the representatives of the Apple Growers Associations.
On this occasion all the sub-divisional officers of the district, HP fruit and vegetable growers union, president Harish Chauhan and other officers were present.
