Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 30 Oct: BJP leader Ravindra Jugran held a discussion with Horticulture Secretary SN Pandey today regarding the payment of approximately Rs 55 crore pending over the past four years to the horticulturists of Uttarakhand under the Apple Mission scheme.
During the conversation, Secretary Pandey informed Jugran that the state government is sensitive about the matter. He stated that two meetings have already been held in the presence of the Chief Minister, and legal consultation is being taken to ensure a fair and transparent resolution.
The Secretary also mentioned that since a CBI investigation related to the Horticulture Department is currently underway, special caution is being exercised while processing the payments to ensure compliance and transparency.
He further clarified that the Apple Mission scheme was operational during the financial years 2021–22 and 2022–23 but was later replaced by another scheme. The payments for these two years have also been affected due to the ongoing CBI inquiry.
Secretary Pandey assured Ravindra Jugran that the government is making continuous efforts to release the pending payments to the horticulturists in a phased manner.
