Minister’s remarks over World Bank project draws Stokes ire

SHIMLA: Former horticulture minister and veteran Congress leader Vidya Stokes accused Horticulture Minister Mahender Singh Thakur of making baseless comments on the World Bank-funded Rs 1,134 crore horticulture project to score a cheap publicity.

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 24

Former horticulture minister and veteran Congress leader Vidya Stokes accused Horticulture Minister Mahender Singh Thakur of making baseless comments on the World Bank-funded Rs 1,134 crore horticulture project to score a cheap publicity.

A war of words started after the minister accused Stokes of focusing on a few districts, mainly Shimla, her home district, while others were ignored.

Reacting to Mahender Thakur’s remark, Stokes said he should first read the project report properly rather than making baseless comments.

Citing the facts of the project, she said the budget for import of temperate fruits was Rs 15.86 crore whereas for subtropical fruits (outside state or country) was Rs 35.48 crore. About 13,700-hectare new area would be covered under temperate fruits and 4,500 hectare (mango, lichi and citrus) under subtropical fruits, she said.

She clarified that out of 30,000-hectare land to be covered under the project, 11,750 hectare was to be covered in Solan, Sirmaur, Chamba, Kangra, Una, Hamirpur and Bilaspur and rest 18,250 hectare in Shimla, Kullu, Lahaul and Spiti, Mandi and Kinnaur. Of the two centre of excellence, one was proposed in Palampur, she said.

Out of 1,500 clusters, 590 were to be formed in Solan, Sirmaur, Chamba, Kangra, Una, Hamirpur and Bilaspur. Processing facilities were to be created at Nadaun and Ghumarwin.

Similarly, of the 14 mandis to be upgraded under the project, the two mandis were in Mandi, one in Sirmaur, two in Solan and two in Kangra. She said the Congress never believed in regional politics.

She said the Modi government had approved the horticulture project before the World Bank gave its nod. “It will be better if somebody, who has the horticulture background, should be asked to run the project smoothly instead of making it a victim of myopic vision,” she said.

War of words

A war of words started after Horticulture Minister Mahender Singh Thakur accused Vidya Stokes of focusing on a few districts, mainly Shimla, her home district, ignoring others.
Reacting to Mahender Thakur’s remark, Stokes said he should first read the project report properly rather than making baseless comments.