Committee holds talk with apple growers at Rohru, Theog

Shimla, July 14

In a bid to placate them, a committee headed by Director Horticulture RK Pruthi held a meeting with apple growers at Rohru and Theog. The apple growers had carried out a protest march at these places on July 11 against the rising input costs, especially hike in GST on packaging material and the resultant increase in the cost of cartons and trays.

HPMC MD Sudesh Kumar Mokhta, DC Shimla Aditya Negi and HP State Agricultural Marketing Board MD Naresh Thakur were part of the committee. “The committee told us that the state government has apprised the Centre about the issue of GST and it would be taken up in the next meeting of GST Council scheduled in the month of August,” said Lokender Bisht, an orchardist from Rohru.

At Theog, the growers raised the demand for restoring Bhattakuffar fruit mandi. The mandi was damaged in a landslide two years ago. After the yard was declared unsafe by IIT Mandi team, trading has been shifted to a smaller place close to the main yard.

“There’s a deliberate effort to disturb and eventually shut down this mandi. It was damaged two years ago and nothing was done to restore it,” said Seb Utpadak Sangh president Sohan Thakur. “The growers also demanded that the barrier at Shogi near Shimla should be shut down. The charging of market fee at this barrier is totally wrong,” said Thakur.

Meanwhile, Mokhta assured the growers that a proposal would be sent to the Centre to fix the yardstick for compensation for damage due to drought and hailstorm state wise. Besides, the committee assured the growers that their demand would be put up before the government.