Govt promise to resolve Apple growers demands after Protest

Syankut Kisan Manch stated here today that state government promised them to resolve all the demands of apple Growers and Farmer amicably after second round of consultantion process held here on Friday. SKM convenor Harish Chauhan and Co-convener Sanjay Chauhan congratulated all the farmers and growers for the successful  Kisan Aakrosh Rally and Secretariat Gherao organized on 5th August. They said in a statement issued here today that after the Protest on Friday high level committee constituted by the state government chaired by Chief Secretary discussed with SKM  20-point demand letter.  They said that talk held in absence of the Chief Minister and Ministers, 30 representatives of all the constituent organizations of the Joint Kisan Manch participated in this meeting and on behalf of the Government. Chief Secretary, Secretary of Agriculture Department, Secretary of Horticulture Department, Managing Director of HPMC and  The Managing Director of Marketing Board was also present.  The officials could not give any satisfactory answer to the issues raised by the delegation of the SKM and again sought 10 more days to implement these demands.  Now SKM said that if the government does not accept these demands by August 16, then they would court arrest them by launching Jail Bharo Andolan from August 17. In the meeting, it was clearly visible from the attitude of the officials that the government is not serious about the demands of the farmers and gardeners.  In the meeting held under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister on July 28, he himself had accepted that all the 20 demands in the demand letter are valid and the government will implement them soon and provide relief to the farmers and gardeners.  But after a week, none of the demands have been implemented.

There was a strong demand by the representatives of the  Kisan Manch that the GST should be abolished on the packaging materials used for agriculture and horticulture, including cartons and trays and the government which has decided to return 6 percent GST at present, simplifies the process.  It should be made so that the growers do not have to suffer.  The process laid down by the government is extremely complex and would cause trouble to lakhs of apple Growers.  Small and marginal gardeners would suffer the most in this.  Farmers once again asked the government to reduce the price of cartons in the market and return the GST to the carton manufacturer after proper investigation of the GST e-Way bill.  This will also check the evasion of GST and the revenue of the government would also increase.  Apart from this, the representatives also demanded strict implementation of APMC Act, 2005 in all the mandis in the state.  The government was apprised that hundreds of crores of rupees are being looted every year from lakhs of farmers and growers of the state with the connivance of APMC and Arhtiyas and buyers.  In the mandis, illegal deductions ranging from Rs 20 to Rs 150 per box are made in the name of labor, exemption, back charges, mold etc.  Whereas the wage of 20 kg box has been fixed only at Rs 5 per box and according to the law, additional deduction cannot be made from the farmer or gardener.  The government has a casual attitude on this and is shying away from its responsibility by making the excuse of lack of staff.Apart from this, the officials could not give any satisfactory answer in the meeting even on the demand of ban on illegal market fees being taken from farmers and gardeners at Shoghi and other check posts and closure of these check posts.  Apart from this, in the meeting to sell apples and all other agricultural products by weight, the officials assured that selling apples by weight would be started in Kinnaur’s Tapri Mandi from this year and gradually it would be implemented in all the mandis. In the meeting, the Chief Secretary assured that the government would take up the issue with the Central Government to implement Mandi Arbitration Scheme (MIS) on the lines of Kashmir and to increase the import duty on apples to 100 percent.Apart from this, on the demand to waive the loan taken by the farmers and withdraw the notice of recovery of the loan, the Chief Secretary assured that the demand of loan waiver will be kept before the government as it is a policy decision as far as the notice issued by the bank for recovery of loan.  He will issue an order to stop.

In the meeting, the Chief Secretary informed that a committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the Vice Chancellor of Nauni Vishwavidyalaya to fix the rates and monitor the purchase of apples in the CA stores of Adani and other companies, in which representatives of the gardeners along with other officers of the department.  will be included.In the meeting, the Chief Secretary informed that under the Mandi Arbitration Scheme (MIS), the amount has been released for the payment of apple dues taken from the gardeners by HPMC and Himfed and all will be paid from next week and in future HPMC and Himfed  Will pay in cash only and no one will be forced to take goods against apple dues. Apart from this, other demands included in the 20-point indent were also discussed, on which only assurances have been given by the officials.