Horticulture officials, middlemen under lens

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 20

More than 50 per cent of 1.4 lakh apple saplings worth Rs 5.60 crore imported from Italy under the Rs 1,134 crore World Bank project in June this year were found to be dried, revealed a preliminary report of the Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan.

Director, Research, of the university, Dr JN Sharma submitted the report to IPH and Horticulture Minister Mahender Singh Thakur on Monday for action.

The minister presided over the meeting of the Horticulture Department, discussed the matter and sought a comprehensive report from the mission director. At least, 7.5 lakh apple saplings worth Rs 30 crore were imported from Italy during the Congress regime.

Thousands of these had been distributed among farmers, while major chunk of the plants were kept under quarantine in various centres in Shimla, Kullu, Kinnaur and Sirmaur districts, sources revealed.

The role of certain horticultural officials and middlemen of an Italian company had also come under the scanner for importing defective plants.

Though the department claimed that the survival rate of the imported plants was 73 per cent, the farmers termed it false, saying that the rate was less than 60 per cent and in many cases, it was dismal 20 per cent.

Vice-Chancellor, Dr YS Parmar university, Dr HC Sharma said 1.4 lakh apple plants of four varieties were kept at the nursery under quarantine in June this year. “More than 50 per cent of these plants were dead and dried. We have submitted the report to the minister,” he added.

The farmers demanded a probe into the matter.

Earlier, a panel of scientists had detected the presence of virus in 15 plants, which were kept under quarantine in its nursery at Duttnagar in Shimla. The plants were later destroyed.

Mission director Dinesh Malhotra said they had sought a comprehensive report. “We will ensure that the farmers get the disease-free plants to increase their output,” he added.

Losses in crores

• At least, 7.5 lakh apple saplings worth Rs 30 crore were imported from Italy during the Congress regime. 
• More than 50 per cent of 1.4 lakh saplings worth Rs 5.60 crore were found to be dried
• Farmers claimed that their survival rate  was less than 60 per cent and in many cases, it was dismal 20 pc
• A panel of scientists had detected virus in 15 plants, which were kept under quarantine in its nursery in Shimla.