Uttarakhand govt to buy produce from apple growers in disaster-hit Dharali

Dehradun, Sept 20 (PTI) Extending a helping hand to the apple growers in disaster-hit Dharali, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday said the state government will buy apples of the ‘royal delicious’ variety from them at Rs 51 per kg and of the ‘red delicious’ and other varieties at Rs 45 per kg.

Dhami has issued orders to the state agriculture and farmers' welfare department to implement the announcement immediately.

Grade C apples have been excluded from the ambit of the announcement.

The August 5 cloudburst in Dharali and adjoining Harsil, in which the whole of Dharali was washed out by a mudslide, dealt a major blow to the area's apple growers who lost much of their harvest.

The announcement by Dhami will be a major relief to them, an official release said. Apples grown in this area are much in demand countrywide.

A circular issued by the chief minister's office directed the secretary in the agriculture and farmers’ welfare department to ensure immediate action and issue a government order granting financial and administrative approval for the move.

The chief minister said he should be informed about the status of compliance of the order. PTI ALM ARI