Himachal government requests funds from Centre for apple harvesting

08 May, 2012

The Himachal Pradesh government today requested the Centre to allocate Rs. 15 crore as special assistance for strengthening post-harvesting facilities for apple growers in the fruit belt of the state.

THE DEMAND was made by Narinder Bragta Horticulture Minister who met APEDA chairman Asit Tripathi in New Delhi today. Bragata thanked the APEDA chairman Asit 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 the 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 CA store at kharapathar, which is one of the major areas 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 pleaded for upgradation of H P M C jarol plant for meeting the requirements of the apple growers, and stressed the need for a modern CA plant in Kullu district for the benifit of apple growers.

Eariler, the horticulture minister met with Prof S.S. Mantha, chairman AICTE, and requested him for grant of permission for starting classes for five new Polytechnic colleges from the current academic session. He said that classes of govt Polytechnic college in Paonta sahib, Kullu, Bilaspur, Lahaul spiti, and Kinnaur will be started from the mentor institutions which are govt polytechnic ambota, govt polytechnic sunder nagar, govt polytechnic hamirpur, J.N.govt engineering sundernagar, and A.B.V., Govt Institute of Engineering and Technology, Pragatinagar respectively.