Himachal apple growers to wait and watch: Farmers’ union

Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 31

The Sanyukt Kisan Manch (SKM) has issued an appeal to apple growers to cast vote after considering what a particular party has done to protect their interests and promises it makes in its manifesto.

“We will wait for parties to release their manifestoes. We will see which party has addressed our concerns and met our demands the most. Once manifestoes are out, we may even issue an appeal to vote for a particular party,” said SKM convener Harish Chauhan in a press conference here today.

Claiming that apple growers have a presence in 30 constituencies and around 2 lakh families depend directly on the fruit for their livelihood, Chauhan said no party could take them for granted now.

“It’s for the first time that growers will vote in an organised manner. They have played an important role in electoral battles in the past as well, but this time they will play a bigger role,” he said.

The SKM lashed out at the Jai Ram government for being indifferent to demands and concerns of the growers. “The BJP government did not fulfil even a single demand out

of the 20-point charter we had submitted to it.

It kept befooling and betraying us all though despite giving assurances,” said Chauhan.

“Considering the anger among the apple growers, the government could not give ticket to Horticulture Minister Mahender Singh, who remained indifferent to the growers,” said Chauhan.

Despite expressing disappointment with the BJP government, the SKM refrained from giving a direct call to vote against the BJP. “We will wait until the manifestos are out,” he said. While slamming the government, the SKM also questioned the Congress over its seriousness to address the issues and concerns of the apple growers.

“The Congress has announced that the OPS will be restored at the very first Cabinet meeting. But it has given no such assurance regarding the demands of the growers for which they have been agitating for almost two years,” said Chauhan.

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