Centre failed to release ₹1,500 crore relief: Govt
Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, October 4
Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi has rejected opposition criticism over delays in transporting apples to markets, insisting that the state government has ensured timely movement of produce despite widespread damage to roads during recent disasters.
Mr Negi said apple season trade had already crossed 2.6 crore boxes, with the government also purchasing 80,000 metric tonnes of apples under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS). He said where large trucks could not operate, smaller vehicles were being used to reach mandis, and disposal committees under sub-divisional magistrates had been formed to prevent losses from rotting fruit.
He accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of “never standing with farmers” and aligning instead with big traders. Mr Negi criticised BJP MLA Balbir Verma for opposing universal cartons, which he said the Congress government had introduced after years of demand from growers.
Turning to disaster relief, Mr Negi also attacked the Centre, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced ₹1,500 crore during his visit to Himachal Pradesh but that “not a single rupee” had been released to the state. He accused BJP leaders of “patting their own backs” while misleading people about central aid.
