Himachal Pradesh Government requested the centre to allocate Rs. 15 crore special assistance for strengthening post harvesting facilities for apple growers in fruit belt of the State. Horticulture Minister Narinder Bragta made his demand with Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) Chairman Asit Tripathi in New Delhi today.
Narinder Bragta thanked Tripathi for sanctioning annual grant-in-aid of Rs 29.45 crore for various schemes of HPMC as part of pre harvest management and said that entire assistance will be utilized by the HPMC in time bound manner. He pleaded for central assistance for setting up modern grading and packaging house and C A store at Khara Pathar, which is one of the major area of apple production and added that State Government has constructed a marketing complex in the Kharapathar. He also requested central assistance for packaging and grading centre at Rohru and demand assistance to upgrade the HPMC Jarol plant for meeting the requirements of the apple growers. He also stressed the need for most modern C A plant in Kullu district for benefit of apple growers.
Earlier, Horticulture Minister met Prof S.S. Mantha Chairman AICTE and requested him for grant of permission for starting classes for five new polytechnic colleges from current academic session. He said that classes of Government Polytechnic College Paonta Sahib, Kullu, Bilaspur, Lahaul Spiti and Kinnaur will be started from the mentor institutions which are Government Polytechnics Ambota, Sundernagar, Hamirpur, J.N. Government Engineering Sundernagar and A.BV. Government Institute of Engineering and Technology Pragatinagar respectively
