The Question Hour on the fourth day of the ongoing Budget Session of Uttarkahand Assembly found the State Cabinet Minister Harak Singh Rawat facing tough time with BJP MlAs battering him with queries. Notably, his relation with the Chief Minister Harish Rawat has not been good for some time. He shuttles from Dehradun to Delhi far too often to the embarrassment of CM.
BJP MlA Malchand asked the Minister to state the number of the plants the State Government had distributed and the amount spent under National Horticulture Mission.
Rawat answered that to help the people in the Hills buy tractors, they have been giving amount upto Rs 1.25 lakh by way of subsidy.
He added that the subsidy amount was 50 per cent in the plains. “Since 2014-15, we have started floriculture and we have been providing subsidy to the growers. We have been giving subsidy to the tune of Rs 4,000 per hectare. Subsidy is being provided to the growers of cut-flowers and bulbs. We have given subsidy for the construction of polyhouse for an amount of Rs 1,650 per square meter under NHM,” he said.
He further said that for the polyhouse, the Centre had provided 50 per cent subsidy while that of the State Government stood at 30 per cent. “It means we are giving 80 per cent up to 1000 square meter polyhouse. To promote horticulture, we distributed 15 lakh fruit tree during the last rainy season,” the minister stated.
Malchand dared him to cite a single orchard being raised under NHM. He said he would resign from the House in case the Minister cited one instance. Rawat later answered, though the MlA did not act on his challenge, prompting the Treasury bench to ask him to quit.
In another question raised by Harbans Kapur, Rawat said that State Government has declared MSP for Mandua (Rs 19 per kg) while for Jhangora it was Rs 16 per kg since 2015-16. “But no farmer has come forward to sell these two produces because they are getting better price than the MSP in the open market. However, we have not declared MSP for organic Mandua and Jhangora because of the complication of their certification process,” he said while assuring to look into the matter in future.
BJP MlA Sanjay Gupta said that the Minister should quit as the CM’s industrial adviser Ranjit Rawat had sought it. “Would you please inform the House when you would resignIJ” he asked.