No price rise in HP, claims Singhi Ram

Shimla, Mar 10 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Horticulture, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Singhi Ram today asserted there was no rise in the prices of essential commodities either in the state or at the central level.

Participating in a discussion on 2006-07 Budget in the Assembly here, he said the state government's decision to reduce the market fee from the existing two per cent to one per cent has, on the other hand, brought down their prices.

Mr Ram said Himachal Pradesh being a consumer state was largely dependent on other states for its requirements and the chief minister's initiative of cutting down the market fee has brought down the rates of essential commodities in the state.

Earlier, the state government had to deposit a sum of Rs 15 crore with the market committee as two per cent market fee, which has now been brought down to Rs seven crore due to the reduction in market fee, he said.

Lauding the Budget proposals, he said that no section of the society had been ignored and the introduction of Mother Teresa Asahay Matri Sambal Yojana, Mukhya Mantri Kanya Dan Yojana and Indira Gandhi Balika Suraksha Yojana were some of the initiatives of the state government to check female foeticide and check the declining sex ratio in the state.

He said the Budget estimates, presented in the Assembly, would provide 38,000 new employment avenues in the government sector alone, besides opportunities in private sector, particularly in the upcoming industries and Hydel projects in the state. The Minister said, 25,000 kms road have already been completed, while another 30,000-km roads would be constructed for providing connectivity for the left out habitations.

Nearly 4.65 lakh people were directly involved with the farming of cash crops in state, contributing 10 per cent towards the GDP of the state, while apple crop contributes Rs 1,500 crore annually amounting to 10 per cent of the state's GDP.

Mr Ram said the state government wants to make Himachal the ''Fruit Bowl'' of the country and citrus fruits like Kinu, litchi, lemon and mango were making a mark in the market.

He said the Rs 80 crore Horticulture Technology Mission project initiated in 2003 has brought about revolutionary changes in the cropping patterns of the state and every year 3,000 farmers and horticulturists were being trained under it, improving their economic standard.

He said as far as the compensation for the damage to the crops caused by the wild animals and the monkeys was concerned, the state government was considering the implementation of the crops insurance scheme. The forest minister, however, lamented that no insurance company was coming forward to insure the crops under this clause.

Replying to a supplementary, he acknowledged that the population of the monkeys had increased in the state and Bilaspur district was no exception.

Mr Thakur also ruled out the possibility of allowing the killing the ''Neel Gai'', which was found in some of the lower areas of the state.

Replying to another question by Asha Kumari (Congress), he said the wildlife wing of the state forest department had carried out an exhaustive exercise to rationalise the boundaries of sanctuaries and national parks in such a way that habitation and cultivated areas and unhabited areas were differentiable.

A proposal in this regard has been prepared and would be considered by the state board for wildlife in its next meeting, scheduled to be held next month.

Based on the recommendations of the board, the proposal would be submitted to the Centre for approval, he said.

The forest minister also referred to the areas, which could be taken out from the sanctuaries.

He also ruled out any possibility of taking out any area of the Pong Dam and Chail in Solan district of the state from the wildlife sanctuaries.

UNI