Himachal govt raises apple procurement price to Rs 13/kg, milk support rate to rise from December

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has announced a Rs 1 per kg increase in the procurement price of apples under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), while the support price for milk will be increased from December 1.

Addressing a public meeting in Chirgaon in the Rohru Assembly constituency on Thursday, Sukhu said the measures were aimed at strengthening the rural economy and improving the incomes of farmers, apple growers and livestock rearers. The apple procurement rate under MIS will rise from Rs 12 to Rs 13 per kg.

The Chief Minister said the government had already increased milk support prices and would raise them further from December 1. Reports on the announcement said the revised rate would be Rs 61 per litre for cow’s milk, up from Rs 51.

Sukhu also highlighted measures for apple growers, including the introduction of a universal carton system and support prices for produce from natural farming.

On education, the Chief Minister said Himachal Pradesh’s ranking in education quality had improved from 21st in 2021 to fifth. He said English-medium education had been introduced from Class I in government schools and that more than 150 government schools had been affiliated with CBSE to address declining enrolment.

Citing an example from Rohru, Sukhu said enrolment at a school increased by more than 500 within a year of the introduction of the CBSE curriculum. He also said 300 Schools of Excellence were being developed to provide quality education closer to rural communities.

The Chief Minister also announced the upgradation of the community health centre at Sandasu to a civil hospital, a new sub-tehsil at Samarkot, a feasibility survey for an SDM office in Chirgaon, and CBSE affiliation for schools in Jangla and Chirgaon.

Taking aim at the previous BJP government, Sukhu alleged that state resources had been used to benefit industrialists rather than ordinary people. He said his government was working to prevent corruption and ensure public resources were used for the benefit of the people.

“As long as I am the Chief Minister, I will neither allow the state’s resources to be looted nor allow anyone to loot them,” he said.

Responding to BJP questions over the Chief Minister’s Office, Sukhu said it belonged to the people and served as a platform for addressing public grievances. He also alleged that the previous BJP government had constructed offices worth more than Rs 1,000 crore in the state.