Ruling BJP slams for supplying expensive packaging material of apples.  

After the Protest, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also come out in the support of Apple gardeners over hike of  prices of  packaging materials.  AAP’s Kisan Wing President Anrindra Singh Nauti said during a press conference in Shimla on Wednesday that the prices of cartons are skyrocketing due to wrong policies of Modi and Jai Ram government.  Anrindra Nauti said that by increasing the GST on cartons from 12 to 18 percent, the Modi government has given proof of being anti-farmer.  He said that the price of cartons and trays never increased so much after independence.  Fiber’s quality tray got 5 rupees last year and now have to pay 8 rupees for a tray.  He said that each box holds six to seven trays.  That is, 48 ​​to 54 rupees are being charged for the tray and 80 rupees in each box.  Similarly, the price of separator has also increased by Rs 20 to 40 per bundle.  He said that the cost of transporting 20 to 25 kg boxes to the market, including cartons, grading, packing, freight, costs 300 to 400 rupees.  Anrindra Nauti said that the economy of the people of Himachal depends on apples.  If the prices of cartons continue to rise like this, then there will be a crisis on the livelihood of 2.5 lakh families of the state.  He has demanded the Modi government to reduce the GST on cartons. He said that he himself would talk to the apple orchards as a representative of AAP and would keep protesting till their problem was resolved. Had the issue been raised with the GST Council, the BJP would not have been hit so much in the election year, due to the rising prices of cartons, the BJP has also come on the back foot. Along with the opposition parties, the gardeners have also come out on the road and expressed their opposition to the expensive cartons. Had the state government raised the issue of reducing GST on cartons before the council meeting, perhaps the gardeners would not have been hit by inflation.