Himachal’s Biggest Food Storage Depot

Bhupender Thakur

Himachal Pradesh will soon get its biggest food storage depot that will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs. 1.8 crore with 20,000 metric tonne capacity in Nalagarh area of Solan district. The State Marketing Board will provide wheat and paddy storage and sale facility to farmers through this storage depot. According to information, production of wheat and paddy is maximum in Sirmour, Solan and Una districts of Himachal Pradesh. Besides this, these crops are grown at an extensive rate in Kangra district also.

Due to a lack of storage facility, farmers store thousands of metric tonnes of wheat and paddy in Punjab and Haryana. Agents who deal with wheat and paddy business also prefer storage of food grains in neighbouring states though there is a food grain storage facility available in Una also. But here the storage capacity is limited. Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) has selected the land for constructing Himachal’s biggest food storage depot in Nalagarh.

The State Marketing Board has also provided a budget of Rs. 1.8 crore for construction of this facility. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh is likely to lay foundation stone for this facility soon. This food storage facility will provide wheat and paddy crop produce storage facility to farmers. Besides this marketing board’s authorised and licensed agents will also sit here to purchase and sell food grains as per the rates set by Food Corporation of India (FCI). An official of FCI will also be present on the location. The biggest boon this facility will provide to farmers is that they will not have to go to other states for sale of their produce. They will get them good price for their produce from this very facility.

Secretary Market Committee Solan Prakash Kashyap said that the biggest food storage depot of Himachal is coming up at Nalagarh. The required for this has also been allocated, added he. Chairman of Market Committee Ramesh Thakur said that the storage depot will be soon inaugurated by chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.

GST Confusion Leads To Industrial Slow Down

Vipin Sharma

The industries sector is witnessing a slowdown because of GST confusion. Such are the conditions in the state that production in industries is near to complete shut down in major industrial areas of the state, including BBN area. The greatest confusion is related to input credit. As a result, Industrialists have either slowed down production or the bigger companies have stopped giving them new orders.

There is a talk going among businessman that there no input credit will be given after July 1. Retailers, whole sellers and distributors too are hesitating to take new stocks. Businessmen mired in worries of refund have nearly brought production to a complete shut down. The biggest worry of industrialists in Himachal is that how industries enjoying certain benefits under special category of certain states will be dealt under GST. Notably, there is no clarity at present as to how GST will provide relaxation to industries in states with special category. Besides this, situation on registration and migration input tax credit and transitional provision is also not clear in GST.

P.R. Choudhary, owner of plastic industry based at Baddi said that production has fallen by 50% in industries in the area. General Manager Home Appliances J.S. Kung said that there are no new orders from industries for last two months. Former Chairman of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Himachal Chapter Arun Rawat said that rules under GST are not much clear at present. Chairman of CII Himachal Chapter Rajesh Saboo that federation is going to organise a workshop on GST in cooperation with officials of related department to clear doubts and confusions of industrialists related to GST.

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