In response to a question asked by Himachal MP Harsh Mahajan in Rajya Sabha, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said that the minimum import price (MIP) on the apple is ₹ 50 per kg and 50%. Union Minister Jitin Prasad also clarified that mantra
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After the Union Ministry’s reply to the Rajya Sabha, the Congress-Makpa and apple gardener in Himachal have become attacked by BJP. In fact, in Shimla, BJP leader Chetan Baragta claimed to increase MIP from ₹ 50 to ₹ 80 per kg on 5 July.
Relief was believed to be the decision, in reality it did not happen
The decision to increase MIP to ₹ 80 was considered to be a major relief for Himachal’s Apple industry of ₹ 5500 crore, because the apple industries of Himachal, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand are also in crisis due to apple imported from abroad.
In such a situation, if MIP would have been ₹ 80 per kg. Apart from this, imported apples do not land on India’s soil for less than ₹ 120 after imposing 50 percent import duty. The direct benefit of this was to get the gardeners of the country. However, MIP is still ₹ 50.
Modi promised to increase import duty
More than 2.5 lakh Bagwan families of Himachal have been demanding to increase MIP and import duty for a long time. Before becoming the Prime Minister in 2014, Narendra Modi himself promised to increase the import duty on apples at a public meeting in Sundernagar, Mandi himself. Import duty has not increased. But on Washington Apple it has been reduced to 75% to 50%.
At the same time, the gardeners of Himachal are demanding to increase import duty on apples for a long time, because the import of apple from abroad is increasing every year. Most of the imports are being done from Türkiye and Iran.
Number 1 in lying in Chetan Baragata BJP: Mungta
Congress spokesperson Kaushal Mungta said that Chetan Baragata only leaves Shigufa. In BJP, he is number-1 in lying. The gardeners consider them illiterate. He said that Chetan Baragata has misled such a big Apple industry and educated gardeners.
Mungta said that BJP leaders claim to meet in the Ministry of Agriculture, sometimes in Commerce Ministry to increase import duty, while in reply in the Rajya Sabha, the Union Ministry has clearly stated that they have no proposal to increase import duty.
Under America’s pressure created a beautiful atmosphere for import duty: Sohan
State President of Apple Producers Association Sohan Thakur said, “The central government is preparing to reduce import duty on apple from 50% to 15% under the pressure of America.” For this, BJP leaders lied in Himachal to create a favorite atmosphere. The gardeners were misled. He said, BJP is still not showing interest in farmers and gardeners in Himachal. On the contrary, it is preventing people from being organized.
BJP misleading propaganda: Sanjay
CPI -M leader Sanjay Chauhan said, BJP misleading about MIP. Spread lies in the public. Now the reply to the Rajya Sabha has been exposed. He said that MIP on apple should also be 100% on the lines of ₹ 100 per kg and import duty on the lines of tea-coffee. He said that the Modi government is anti-farmers.
On the other hand, when the contact was made on the phone repeatedly to know the side of BJP leader Chetan Baragata in this context. However, the contact could not be made.