Issue of Gumma carton factory sale has again cropped up as Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has claimed that sold machines of Gumma carton factory were re-assembled at Nagpur and produced cartons were being sold in Himachal Pradesh. Chief Minister said it at the 64th State level ‘Van Mahotsav’ function at Shamlaghat near Shimla and added that he had ordered to conduct an inquiry into it.
Chief Minister believed that Gumma Carton factory was sold on throwaway prices. He claimed that its machines were costing about Rs. 80 – 90 crores, however, sold at meager two crores only.
Gumma carton factory were sold to Agro Industrial Packaging India Ltd, during the previous Dhumal regime and then opposition Congress had opposed its sale. Congress leader Vidya Stokes had accused Dhumal Govt. for leaving apple growers at the mercy of private carton manufacturers. State CPM unit had also raised objection over the sale of factory. CPM had even complained to Comptroller Auditor General of India (CAG) over it.
However, BJP leaders had justified the move and had accused the Congress for it. Dhumal had claimed that the decision to sell the factory was first taken by the congress government. Dhumal had also blamed the Congress for the poor financial status of the Gumma carton factory. In his Vidhan Sabha speech in 2010, Dhumal had blamed the corruption in the management of the carton factory during the previous Congress regimes was mainly responsible for its miserable financial condition.
