SKM to cordon Adani fruit stores on August 25

Sanyukat Kisan Munch has given the call to cordon the fruit stores and processing plant of Adani at  four places in Himachal Pradesh on August 25. Convenor of SKM Harish Chauhan said that on August 13, 2022 state government constituted a 13 member committee presided by the Vice Chancellor of Dr Y S Parmar University Nauni Solan to look into mointeering and harness recommendations regarding issues of Management of Adani’s and other private companies and rate of Apples. The first meeting of Committee was held at Horticulture Directorate at Shimla on August 23.He said that the meeting was not attend by key member of Govt Committee and representative of 10 companies including Adami Agrofresh who are precuring apple from Himachal Pradesh.  Giving the call of SKM to cordon the Adani stores on August 25 Mr Chauhan said that Goverment was not serious to resolve the monopoly of 18 private companies as the representative of Adani Agrofresh and ten others companies including prominent and key member of committee skipped the first meeting. He said that during the meeting farmers demanded to read and table copy of MOU signed by the Government with private companies before allowing to invest in apple industry and its precurement. Mr Chauhan said that Committee seemed to bluff with farmers and apple Growers as Government members in Committee was not serious to resolve the issue. Mr Chauhan said that BJP government is standing with Adani Agro Fresh as firm declared Apple precurement rate on August 13 before the issue could be resolve in August 23 Committee meeting and did not attend the meeting. Mr Chauhan said that out of 18 companies who are directly buying apple from producers representative of eight attended the meeting. He said that Farmers were assured by the government to end the exploitation of apple growers and monopoly over apple marketing by big the companies and its arbitrary fixation of apple rates. He said that SKM did not bycot the meetings as they knew that Committee could not resolve their burning issues. He alleged that it apparant now that government was not serious on the very first meeting. He said that at four places SKM would now cordon Adani precurement and apple storage facilities in Himachal Pradesh to protest against the private company who are cheating apple growers with direct support of government. He said that it seems that state have no control over such private firms as Government couldn’t forced them to attend the meeting of above Committee. He said that SKM is blaming the state government for being not serious on the issues of 20 points demand charter and recently imposing heavy taxation on the packaging materials of farmers vis a vis to private companies. The private company buy apple from the farmers in apple krat which are reusable. Mr Chauhan said that terms of reference of the committee was to visit the original MOUs signed between various parties with Govt .  agencies. To find out gaps in implementation of agreed terms & conditions . Grade finalized by the companies should be in consultation with the state  agency or farmer representative and same should be shared in public domain .  Calibration of the grading machine must be done in front of the committee constituted by the Government and the committee may frequently inspect the calibration of the grading machine.  To facilitate discussion with CA storage, organizations and representatives to resolve existing issues and thereby reaching a mutually agreed price of Apples.  To have a look at weights & measures mechanism in CA Stores being managed privately.  The weighing machines installed at CA stores must be calibrated and checked from time to time by relvent authority. SKM said that private companies want monopoly on the CA store and its management therefore it did didn’t attend the meeting. CPI(M) MLA Rakesh Singha in a public statement urged the apple growers who are selling their crop to Adani Agrofresh in their stores in the state didn’t turned up on August 25 as protesting apple growers did not want to scuttle their trading. He said that they may or not attend SKM protest but the protest should be peaceful.