‘Centre cheated growers by cutting import duty’

SHIMLA: On the issue of decreasing import duty on Washington apples by 20%, the Congress in Himachal Pradesh has stepped up attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at Centre.
After chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, now his principal advisor (media) Naresh Chauhan has targeted the Centre on this issue by saying that the Modi government at the Centre has cheated the growers of the state by reducing the import duty.He said that before becoming the Prime Minister in 2014, Narendra Modi had promised to increase import duty on apples to 100 percent.
Apples are imported from over 3 dozen countries of the world in the markets of India due to which the apple growers of the state fail to get good rates for apples. In such a situation, it is being feared that a reduction in import duty on Washington apples, the growers would face losses.
Chauhan, while addressing media persons in Shimla on Friday, said that more than 9 years have passed since the formation of the Modi government at the Centre, but till date this promise has not been fulfilled. He said that failure to increase the import duty has resulted in horticulturists of the state unable to get good rates of apples due to the imported apples from all over the world. Along with Himachal, the horticulturists of Kashmir are also upset due to non-increase in import duty, he added.
He said that far from increasing the import duty, the Modi government has reduced the import duty on Washington Apple from 70 percent to 50 percent. Due to this the apple growers of Himachal Pradesh are feeling cheated. He said that Himachal's apple industry worth more than Rs 6000 crore would be in trouble due to reduction in import duty.
Naresh Chauhan said that during the Lok Sabha elections in Himachal Pradesh, Narendra Modi had talked about mixing apple juice in cold drinks. He said this promise of the Prime Minister also proved to be a “jumla”. He has demanded the Central Government to reconsider the decision of reducing the import duty on Washington Apple and also demanded the BJP to raise this issue before the Centre.