HimVani
Shimla: State unit of Communist Party of India(Marxists) today complaint with CAG India against alleged disposal or sell out of the Agro Packaging Plant and Machinery of M/s Agro Industrial Packaging Ltd. (AIPIL), a H.P. State Public Undertaking at Pragati Nagar, KotKhai. While addressing media persons here today state secretariat member of CPIM Tekinder Panwar alleged that in systematic dilution of public assets/property by H.P. State Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and State Minister for Horticulture Narinder Bragta has sold out the plant being set of at Pragti Nagar in early 90s.
He said that contentious issue before us is the illegal or unethical sale of sophisticated plant and machinery assets of H.P. state public undertaking namely M/s Agro Industrial Packaging India Ltd.(AIPIL) at a ridiculously low price to a scrap dealer from Nagpur for Rs1.08 crore whereas as per the government tender documents reserve price for the same Plant Machinery was fixed at Rs28.33 crore. “H.P. State government conceived this factory as a social business model in public sector to introduce and promote modern and green technology for the benefit of apple orchardists not only in H.P. but in the entire apple belt of the country.” he alleged. He said that primary objectives for establishing such a hi-tech plant were to minimize environmental degradation and to save forest wealth of H.P. this was being indiscriminately exploited for manufacturing of wooden boxes for packaging purposes of fruits within the state. He requested the CAG to intervene in this matter by holding an independent audit inquiry immediately in the interest of the farmers of Himachal Pradesh and punish those who are responsible for this scam.
