Sukhu urges FM to hike apple import duty, seeks higher borrowing limit for HP

New Delhi: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and raised the issue of apple imports from Turkey, which is harming the interests of apple growers in the state. He urged the Finance Minister to implement a universal hike in import duty on apples in order to protect the interests of apple growers of the country, including Himachal Pradesh. The Chief Minister also held discussions on various budgetary and financial issues concerning the state, which require the attention of the Union Government.

He requested the Finance Minister to raise the borrowing limit of Himachal and other special category states by at least two per cent. He also briefed the Finance Minister on various initiatives taken by the state government to improve fiscal management and the steps taken to augment financial resources despite several financial constraints.