Edu Minister opens apple grading, packing facility

Education Minister Rohit Thakur inaugurated a modern apple grading and packing house at Tutoopani in the Nawar region on Saturday. The facility, built at a cost of Rs 6.69 crore, has the capacity to handle 5,600 tonnes of apples during the entire fruit season.

The project was funded by the World Bank under the Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Development Scheme.

Emphasising that Nawar was a key apple producing area, Thakur said it was important to upgrade infrastructure and technology. “Such infrastructure and technology will help apple farmers get better prices for their produce,” he said.

On the occasion, Thakur also inaugurated a school building at Nalaban, constructed at a cost of Rs 14.20 lakh. He further said the government was committed to providing quality education and that projects worth Rs 15 crore for school infrastructure development were underway in the Nawar region.

The minister also participated in a plantation drive conducted under the ‘Van Mahotsav’ programme and planted a deodar sapling, highlighting the importance of environmental conservation.