Shimla, Nov 29 (PTI) In a statement issued here on Wednesday, Himachal Pradesh BJP spokesperson Chetan Bragata asked Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi to clarify whether the apples purchased by Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation and Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Marketing and Consumer Federation under the Market Intervention Scheme have been paid for or not.

He said that crops of orchardists were destroyed in the monsoon disaster and asked Negi to disclose whether compensation was provided to the affected people or not and how much compensation was given as Negi also holds the charge of the revenue department.

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Negi created confusion during the recent apple season by taking a policy decision of selling apples according to weight with a cap of 24 kg rather than as per box since the decision was not implemented in the fruit markets, Bragata said in a statement.

The BJP leader also asked when the payments of the subsidies provided by the Himachal government on tools used in horticulture would be made.

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Bragta said that a new narrative is being spread among the public by the minister, claiming that universal cartons will be introduced in the next season.

Orchardists want to know if the minister has discussed this matter with Corrugated Manufacturers (companies that produce cartons) and if discussions have taken place with the governments of other states on this issue, he said.

This is to ensure that apples from Himachal Pradesh can be sold in the fruit markets of other states without any hassle. The orchardists of the state want to know this from the minister, he added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)