Shimla: Former Horticulture Minister Narinder Bragta has blamed the state government’s faulty policies towards the apple growers for the steep crash of the apple prices in the market.
Bragta, in his press statement, lambasted at the Horticulture Department for failing to open procurement centres in time and thus low quality apples were inundating in the market and affecting the prices of good quality apples.
Former Horticulture Minister said the procurement centres in the apple belt had been reduced to half from 328 during the BJP government. Even those announced had not been made functional in several panchayats.
He said that the procurement centres should have been opened in July when the season started. But many centres remained non-functional, despite announcements by the government, he added.
Bragta also slammed the government decision of giving CA Store to the private players. He said that apple growers were not able to store their produce and constrain to sell that on the low prices in the market.
Former Minister also cited confusion regarding the weight apple box as a reason for the price fall of the apple in the market. Bragta accused the horticulture department for not preparing well before the implementing the memorandum regarding the apple box weight and businessmen make merry out of it.
Bragta accused the state government for giving blind eye to the plight of the apple growers and taking unfavorable decision like increasing transport freight and prices of carton, further adding problems of growers.
