Apple growers resent ‘goonda tax’

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 4

Apple growers have accused commission agents and local truck operators’ union of charging them “hefty commission” right under the nose of Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) and local administration. They demanded action against the erring agents and union.

Receipts of payments issued by some commission agents and Theog-based truck union to the farmers are with The Tribune. Those show that the commission agents are charging “goonda tax” as said by the farmers.

The commission agents are also charging Rs 84 as “B charges”, Rs 20 as postage and phone charges from the gullible farmers. “I sold 90 apple cartons at Parwanoo to the SVS firm, which charged Rs 50 as union tax, besides Rs 104 as other charges,” lamented a farmer from Mondu, Theog,

Another farmer from Nerwa in Chopal resented that he sold 111 cartons to the BAC, Parwanoo, on August 1. The commission agent charged Rs 50 as union charges, besides Rs 1,430 as miscellaneous expenses and Rs 30 as phone charges. “When we questioned the arhtiya, he did not even listen to us,” he said.

The local truck unions are also resorting to pressure tactics discouraging truckers coming from outside to keep their monopoly in apple transportation. “As a result, these unions charge at will whenever there is a great demand for trucks,” resented the farmers.

They cited the example of Tehsil Truck Union Theog at Rehighat. The union is charging Rs 1,000 per truck, which comes from outside the state. The union took Rs 1,000 from a truck belonging to Punjab at Parala Market on July 24 last month, read the receipt of payment issued by the truck union.

President of the HP Apple Growers Association Rakesh Singha said action should be taken against the commission agents and truck operators. Local SDMs and APMC should stop this “goonda tax” as the High Court and Supreme Court have banned such charges.

The farmers resented that they had lodged a complaint with the state Agricultural Market Board, but to no avail. They suspected that some politicians and union leaders were forcing commission agents to charge the “goonda tax”.

Official’s take

Managing director of the Agricultural Market Board  HS Baveja said they would take action against the erring 

commission agents on receiving complaints. 

What admn says

“The administration has not received any complaint from the farmers so far. It would take action against the erring commission agents as no such charges can be taken from farmers,” said Dinesh Malhotra, Deputy Commissioner, Shimla.