Apples to be sold on kg basis from this season: HP min

Shimla: In Himachal Pradesh, apples will be sold on the basis of kg from this season, and the government is serious about implementing the new rule. This was stated by revenue, horticulture and tribal development minister Jagat Singh Negi at Gumma, Kharapathar, after inspecting the proposed cold stores. He said that as per the norms of universal carton, a maximum of 24 kg apples would be sold per box. The horticulture minister said that the government will also deploy local administration to implement this rule. “The local SDM and Tehsildar level officers will also be authorised to implement the rule. The local administration will keep a close watch on the matter. In this budget, the state government has decided to build 8 cold stores, out of which two cold stores are to be built in Jubbal-Kotkhai area,” the miister said. He said that this time, apples which are taken in sacks in a radius of about 40 km around Parala Mandi will be taken in crates, which will benefit the orchardists. He said that the government is committed to provide quality pesticides and fertilizers to the horticulturists of the state and soon its availability will be ensured through the Horticulture Department. “The government is working to have about 2 lakh boxes of storage in the Khada Patthar cold store. The state government under the leadership of chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is committed to the welfare of the horticulturists,” Negi said. During the event, education minister Rohit Thakur thanked Jagat Singh Negi for inspecting the proposed cold store in his constituency. In a public meeting organized at Anu, he said that the horticulturists of nearby areas, including Jubbal-Kotkhai, will benefit from the proposed cold stores at Kharapathar and Anu. He also thanked chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for taking care of the sentiments of the people of the constituency.